The Minnesota Department of Health is honoring a slate of rural health care professionals for significant contributions to the health and well-being of their communities.
The recognitions coincide with National Rural Health Day, which is Thursday, Nov. 16.
Honorees include rural community health advocate Ann Bussey of Side Lake; family nurse practitioner Shannon Shaw of the Family Advocacy Center of Northern Minnesota in Bemidji; Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin; and Ted Matthews of Minnesota Rural Mental Health in Hutchinson.
Bussey’s advocacy work ensures the needs of older adults on the Iron Range and across rural America are reflected in policy decisions.
Shaw provides comprehensive, age-appropriate and culturally sensitive care for victims in her work at the Family Advocacy Center. This includes those who’ve experienced child abuse, sexual assault, neglect, trafficking and intimate partner violence in northern Minnesota.
Riverwood Healthcare Center is recognized for its work in identifying social determinants of health among their patients and creating community partnerships to address those needs.
Health Commissioner Dr. Brooke Cunningham said their accomplishments also serve as a reminder of critical care gaps in rural communities. And the need to work together to fund training and retaining health care workers in Greater Minnesota.
The recipients will be honored during the 2024 Minnesota Rural Health Conference in June in Duluth.
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