Advancing Maternal Health in Rural Communities
NEOAHEC is celebrating National Rural Health Day! Rural communities are wonderful places to live and work, which is why nearly 61 million people call them home.
Living rurally provides us with infinite opportunities to collaborate and innovate ways to care for our neighbors. We understand that rural communities are great places for mission-minded health professionals to provide individualized care. From 2022-2023, the number of students from a rural background in federal health career pathway programs jumped to 118,394, equal to 18% of total pathway participants.
This year’s theme is “Advancing Maternal Health in Rural Communities,” and it couldn’t be a more fitting time for Eastern Oregon. With the recent closure of the maternity ward in Baker City, NEOAHEC has been awarded funding to purchase obstetric and newborn manikins and provide training on high-risk scenarios with regional healthcare students and professionals.
In celebration of the “Power of Rural,” NEOAHEC is honored to share Dr. Nate Defrees’ story and perspective on providing healthcare as a family doctor in the rural community of Baker City.