What are three life lessons you would share?
1. Keep an open mind.
2. Look for continued challenges.
3. Exercise and eat right – but don’t give up the wine!
What is the most important thing you are working on right now?
The Rio Rico Fire District just received a 3-year HRSA Rural Healthcare Outreach Grant to provide Community Paramedicine
services for residents of Santa Cruz County, Arizona aged 55 and older who suffer from chronic disease and/or have been identified as high-utilization emergency service users. They have been piloting this project and now we are trying to hone in on the appropriate outcome measures and the best data sources to properly evaluate the impact of the program.
What inspires you and excites you most about working for a SORH?
The diversity of our job is complex with the Tribes in our state and our borders. The questions I receive are challenging and there is never a dull day.
What is the biggest challenge facing SORH leaders today?
I think the biggest challenge is keeping rural healthcare on the radar of legislators and business leaders. It is important to keep this issue front and center to emphasize how important rural is. We have to make rural healthcare a priority and continue to bring it to light. We need to continually explain what SORHs are and what they do by providing valuable technical assistance to the rural communities they serve.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a SORH leader?
I have always been involved in volunteering in NOSORH committees. It is a great way to understand what the other SORHs are working on. I am the Region D Rep along with John Packham and I’m excited about it.