NOSORH Honors First Leadership Institute Graduates

November 19, 2009 -- Austin, Texas

The National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) took time during its annual meeting in Austin, Texas to recognize graduates of the organization’s Leadership Institute Class of 2009. Those honored today (November 19) are the first graduates from the leadership development program.

Graduates of the Leadership Institute Class of 2009 include:

• Sharla Allen, manager, Wyoming Office of Rural Health and deputy administrator, Rural and Frontier Health Division, Wyoming Department of Health;
• Angie Emge, hospital programs manager, Michigan Center for Rural Health;
• Cari Fouts, program director, Colorado Rural Health Center;
• John Hanson, manager, Washington State Office of Rural Health Program;
• Joyce Hospodar, senior program director, Arizona State Office of Rural Health Program;
• Katie Jerkins, rural resource coordinator, Iowa Bureau of Healthcare Access;
• Kristi Mitchell, recruitment coordinator, Alabama Office of Primary Care and Rural Health;
• Jill Myers, supervisor of rural health planning and analysis, Minnesota Office of Rural Health & Primary Care; and
• Pamela Smith, program coordinator, Massachusetts State Office of Rural Health.

NOSORH was created in 1995 to serve as an influential voice for rural health concerns and promote a healthy rural America through state and community leadership. The organization launched its Leadership Institute earlier this year in an effort to enhance the leadership and management skills of emerging and established employees of State Offices of Rural Health. Doing so will equip these emerging leaders to respond more effectively to the rural health needs of the communities and states which they serve.

In order to graduate from the program, class members are expected to participate in seven Webinars, attend a capstone workshop held in conjunction with the NOSORH Annual Meeting, and complete a rural health project utilizing the leadership skills they developed throughout the Institute. Each participant benefits from the mentoring they received from established national rural health leader throughout the program.

The Heartland Center for Leadership Development, headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, helped NOSORH launch the Leadership Institute and develop its curriculum.

For additional information, please contact NOSORH Executive Director Teryl Eisinger at teryle@nosorh.org or (586) 739-9940.