More than 1,000 health care leaders, including a delegation from Sanford Health, gathered in Orlando to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing rural health systems across the country at the 37th American Hospital Association Rural Health Leadership Conference.
Participants at the four-day event, held from February 11th to 14th, learned about a myriad of topics, including best practices for workforce retention in rural areas, disaster preparedness, telemedicine, and healthcare delivery to Indigenous communities. Related topics were discussed.
Leaders who attended on behalf of Sanford included Natasha Smith, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Sanford Health, who spoke about maintaining health equity in rural communities; He spoke at a panel discussion.
“One of the things that really stuck with me from a health equity standpoint was that patients were able to receive support from people who looked like them, shared similar life experiences, and actually had a common identity. The idea is that they want to be cared for,” Smith said.
“From a workforce perspective, the opportunities that exist for health systems, especially rural health systems, are opportunities to increase their representation, really build cultural competency, and improve the employee experience, all of which It has a huge impact on medical outcomes.”
Natasha Smith, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Sanford Health, joins Sanford Health News’ Jason Anschutz from the AHA conference. (Video: Sanford Health, Jason Anschutz)
Sanford Health Chief Nursing Officer Erica DeBoer also attended the conference to discuss rural workforce shortages and how to leverage technology and artificial intelligence to build a more sustainable nursing workforce.
“Now more than ever, as we look to fundamentally transform the way we care for patients, thinking about the opportunity to leverage AI and other technologies to reduce the burden on frontline teams is more important than ever. It doesn’t matter where you live,” DeBoer said.
Erica DeBoer, chief nursing officer at Sanford Health, speaks with Sanford Health News’ Jason Anschutz during the AHA conference. (Video: Sanford Health, Jason Anschutz)
Chelsea Faulk, senior director of Sanford Wheaton Medical Center, also spoke at the conference, joining four other local health leaders in the “Innovation 7″ focused on building a more flexible and sustainable workforce. Participated in a fast-paced session called “Minute”.
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Categories: Company News, Inclusion at Sanford, Leadership in Healthcare, News, Rural Health
