Gov. Quinn proclaims Nov. 15 National Rural Health Day | Health

(KFVS) - The Illinois Department of Public Health, along with the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, will be celebrating the second National Rural Health Day in an effort to increase awareness of rural health-related issues.

Governor Pat Quinn proclaimed Nov. 15 National Rural Health Day in Illinois to encourage residents to recognize the unique health care needs and opportunities in Illinois' rural communities.

According to IDPH, approximately 62 million people, or almost one in five Americans, live in rural areas of the United States. That includes more than two million Illinois residents. Yet only nine percent of all physicians and 12 percent of all pharmacists practice in rural communities.

“Many rural communities face challenges when providing quality health care, including accessibility – such as traveling long distances to a health care provider, a lack of health care providers in the area, the needs of an aging population suffering from a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of un- and underinsured citizens,” said Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, state health department director. “National Rural Health Day is an opportunity for communities, health departments, doctors, hospitals and others, to come together to develop innovative approaches to address the health needs of rural communities.”

For more information, you can log onto www.idph.state.il.us/about/rural_health/rural_home.htm.

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