The Rural Health Voice

What assistance is available to help rural providers afford internet upgrades? Blythe Albert from the Universal Service Administrative Company joined us to discuss the universal service fund. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, become a member of The Virginia Rural Health Association! Member benefits include a weekly e-newsletter with regulation updates, resources, & funding opportunities, and discounts for events like our upcoming Rural Health Voice Conference in Nov

What do tick bites and federal policy have in common? Sharon Forsyth of the Alpha-gal Alliance Action Fund joined us to discuss the resources they have available. On September 24, 2025, Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) became reportable to the Virginia Department of Health. Learn more about AGS and its impacts in Virginia during a special breakout session at the 2026 Rural Health Voice Conference. Alpha-Gal Alliance https://alphagalalliance.org/ VDH Fact Sheet https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiolog

What is the importance of evaluating rural health programs?  Michael Meit, director of the ETSU Center for Rural Health and Research, joined us to discuss the benefits and complications of rural health evaluation. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, join VRHA at the Rural Health Voice Conference this November – https://vrha.org/conference2026/

What is Virginia Relay and how does it help both patients and providers? Brittany Howard of the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing joined us to discuss the services they provide. If you want to be part of the conversation about rural health, check out VRHA’s upcoming Rural Health Voice Conference in Danville, VA on November 18 & 19 – https://vrha.org/conference2026/

What is needed to support recovery? Shauna Tilson from the Appalachian Center for Hope joined us to discuss their plan to address substance use disorders in Southwest Virginia. If you want learn more about the history and causes of Medical Mistrust and how to address it, check out the book Medical Mistrust in Appalachia.

What does it take to become a Community Health Worker? Leslie Clark from the United Way of Virginia’s Blue Ridge joined us to discuss CHW training and services. During this episode we discuss the use of CHW’s to decrease medical mistrust. If you would like to learn more about this topic, check out the new book Medical Mistrust in Appalachia: Helping Patients and Providers Communicate with Cultural Humility, edited by Wendy Welch and Beth O’Connor.