Rural Women's Health Conference Summary Report Summary Report  (PDF File, 1.82 Mb) August 13 -15, 2007 Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington DC

Background

It is estimated that 65 million people, or approximately one-fifth of the total population, live in rural/frontier areas. Frontier counties alone comprise about 56 percent of the land area and contain 49 percent of the water area in the United States. On a daily basis, people living in these areas must deal with everything the environment brings, including droughts, floods, tornados, and fires. In addition to the environment, rural/frontier people face numerous challenges that are difficult for people from urban environments to understand. When all a person sees is pavement, it is hard to grasp that in rural/frontier America, reaching the nearest service takes much more than jumping in the car. It could involve a drive of several hours, or even a plane ride. When a person living in a rural or frontier area needs health care, it is not just about making an appointment and showing up.

When compared to urban residents, rural and frontier residents tend to have higher poverty rates, poorer health, fewer physicians, and fewer other health resources. Rural/ frontier women are also more likely to suffer from heart disease, hypertension, and cancer than urban women residents.

Over the past 20 years, HHS has taken several steps to address the health disparities and challenges faced by rural/frontier people. In 1987, HHS established the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Congress charged ORHP with informing and advising HHS on matters affecting rural hospitals and health care, coordinating activities within the Department that relate to rural health care, and maintaining a national information clearinghouse.

Since 1996, OWH has provided funding for the National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health (CoEs), a program designed to improve the health status of all women across the life span. In 2000, OWH created the National Community Centers of Excellence in Women's Health (CCOEs). The CCOE program is designed to integrate, coordinate, and strengthen linkages between programs and activities that are already underway in the community to enhance services available to women and reduce fragmentation in women's health services. In addition, since 2001, OWH has provided funding for the National Rural/Frontier Women's Health Coordinating Centers (RFCCs) to address the health status of the rural/frontier population. In 2005, OWH announced the funding of 8 new RFCCs, bringing the total to 11 centers across the United States.

The Charting New Frontiers in Rural Women's Health Conference represents another significant step in OWH's commitment to improving health care for rural and frontier women.

Current as of October 17, 2008