Celebrate the power of rural

NOSORH sets aside the third Thursday of every November– to celebrate National Rural Health Day to bring attention to the unique healthcare needs of rural communities.

RCAC brings you this special edition of Network News to help NOSORH spread the word.

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Not enough young aspiring doctors seek a practice in rural communities

Many doctors have patients they never forget. For Dr. Kent Vincent, it’s a farmer from northeast Oregon. With both arms mangled, then severed by a corn auger, he managed to drive his tractor three miles to a house to get help, and he lived to talk about it.

“I wrote his prosthetic prescriptions for 10 years after that,” says Vincent, an orthopedic surgeon who studied medicine in Iowa.

At the time, Vincent worked at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. The farmer was brought there for treatment. Looking back, Vincent says that it wouldn’t have made much difference had a doctor been near the accident, but Vincent’s familiarity with farming and rural living was an asset. Read more >>

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Oddz N Ends

Celebrate National Rural Health Day

• Do something “healthy” today – eat more vegetables, go for a bike ride, get your blood pressure or cholesterol checked, etc.
• Write a letter to the editor or contact a local legislator to stress the importance of addressing the health needs of rural communities.
• Thank a rural health provider for all they do!