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