It's National Rural Health Day, and we're making good on our four-part commitment to help publicize the #powerofrural.
Our partners have taken to LinkedIn to thank a rural healthcare professional who stands out for their special dedication and leadership. We invite you to follow each link below and "like" the individual tributes – it's such an easy way to show appreciation for a handful of leaders who are making their rural communities a better, healthier place to live.
Herbie Hames recognized Chuck Mantooth, who led the reimagining of Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville, NC, as a smaller critical access facility with 37 beds dedicated to inpatient behavioral health.
"This was the first time in the country that a critical access hospital was co-located within the same building with another delivery of care entity," Herbie noted. "As inpatient stays decrease in our smaller community hospitals, Chuck and his team are showing what the future can be for the rural communities!"
Sometimes the best leaders are the ones who build a strong legacy for a future that doesn't include them. Isaac Squyres called out two former CEOs, Joann Anderson of UNC Health Southeastern and Angie Orth of Randolph Health. Thanks to their vision and selflessness, Isaac wrote, both women "have seen their organizations through tremendous times of change and into new partnerships to grow and secure access in their communities."
Ironically enough, Bob Wilson also recognized Angie Orth for "her tireless efforts to keep healthcare local in Randolph County, NC, during her tenure as President & CEO of Randolph Health in Asheboro [NC]. Angie was amazing and certainly key to the extraordinary efforts exerted to keep Randolph Health on track through the challenges of a bankruptcy process AND the pandemic."
Finally, Dawn Carter opted for a video tribute to Becky Carter, president of FirstHealth Montgomery. Dawn noted that Becky is a healthcare expert and community leader who "recognizes the value of rural life and believes strongly that those who live in rural communities should not be denied accessible, quality healthcare just because of where they live." She's also a visionary who's not "holding onto a past that no longer serves her community...she's leading her community to embrace future possibilities."
What leader do you admire in the world of rural healthcare? National Rural Health Day may be over, but it's never too late to reach out with a word of gratitude.