Every November, National Rural Health Day reminds us to celebrate the people doing the hard, often unglamorous work of keeping rural communities healthy. NYSARH wants to honor one of them this year, and we need your help finding them.
The Senator Patricia McGee Rural Health Worker Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding, lasting contribution to the health of rural New Yorkers. It's named for the late Senator, whose unwavering commitment to improving rural residents' quality of life and her genuine willingness to listen to constituents across her district and throughout New York State, including at NYSARH events, left a legacy that still shapes rural health policy today.
The Practitioner of the Year Award honors the memory of Dr. Gary Ogden, who passed away in January 2007. Those who knew Gary remember a passion for life, a selfless dedication to his community, his organization, and above all his patients, and the conviction to turn belief into action. Each year, we look for a direct service provider whose work in rural New York reflects that same spirit.
The Outstanding Rural Health Program award recognizes a community-wide, regional, or statewide program — involving one or more health care professionals or entities, that promotes or facilitates the development of the rural health care delivery system. The Awards Committee gives consideration to programs that demonstrate broad benefit to health, innovative or collaborative approaches, and outstanding, long-lasting impact on the communities they serve. Nominated programs should reflect a meaningful and sustained contribution to rural health, consistent with the goals and objectives of the Association, and should exhibit a level of effort, innovation, and collaboration that goes beyond what is typically expected.
Do you know someone whose work has gone beyond what's expected? Maybe they built an innovative program from the ground up, championed a policy that will benefit rural communities for years to come, or simply never stopped showing up. Nominations are open across every area of health, what matters is a lasting, exemplary contribution to the public's health, in the spirit of what Senator McGee stood for.
Please use this nomination form to recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant contribution to rural health. Fill out a separate nomination form for each category or entry.
