Rural health leaders, community members and organizations, along with public health board and executive leaders met at Stonewall Resort & Conference Center in Roanoke, WV, on April 28 and 29 for the annual Appalachian Health Leadership Forum hosted by the Center for Rural Health Development to discuss how to improve the health and economic opportunities in their local communities.
With nearly 80 attendees, folks from all over the state of West Virginia gathered to explore and discuss health care and economic issues faced by local communities and the state. Other topics included the role of the faith community and the roles of arts and culture in community health improvement.
The two-day event kicked off on April 28 with a presentation on Is Your Community Ready to Conduct Community Health Improvement Planning through Wild, Wonderful and Healthy WV led by Elaine Darling and Allison Toler from The Center for Rural Health Development. The presentation outlined several topics and questions that rural communities can use to determine if a health improvement plan is right for them. This session provided attendees with the tools and knowledge needed to create long-term change to positively impact the health of all community members.
Following the pre-forum session and to support the work of communities that are part of Wild, Wonderful and Healthy West Virginia, which is a program of the Center for Rural Health Development, Friday’s forum opened with a presentation by Jill Rosenthal, MPH, Director of Public Health Policy for the Center for American Progress on the topic Improving Health and Well-Being in West Virginia Communities Through Sustained Investments. Other sessions included The Role of Arts and Culture in Placemaking with Cheryl Hargrove with Hargrove International. Following lunch, the Wild, Wonderful & Healthy community of Smithers and Montgomery presented on Two Towns, One Community: The Story of the Upper Kanawha Valley Strategic Initiatives Council by Anne Cavalier, Mayor of Smithers, and Greg Ingram, Mayor of Montgomery. Friday’s events concluded with the Annual Rural Health Awards Reception and Dinner with keynote speaker, Renee Thompson, DNP, RN, FAAN, CSP, who spoke about Eight Healthy Attributes of a Healthy Work Culture: Strategies for Leaders – Attributes One Through Seven.
Each year during the dinner portion of the two-day event, the Center’s Board of Directors confers the West Virginia Rural Health Leadership award to an individual who has provided leadership in improving health in rural communities throughout the state of West Virginia. This year, Dr. Ron Stollings was recognized with the 2023 West Virginia Rural Health Leadership Award.
Dr. Stollings is a geriatrician in Madison, WV. He received his medical degree from Marshall University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He has been in practice for nearly 40 years – all in Boone County, WV. Dr. Stollings served in the West Virginia Senate for 16 years upon his first election in 2006. During his time in the Senate, Dr. Stollings served as vice chair of the Committee on Health and Human Resources during the 78th and 79th legislatures (2006-2010) and then chair during the 80th and 81st Legislatures (2010-2014). A lifelong resident of Boone County, Dr. Stollings has served his community through various organizations including the Boy Scouts of America, the Madison Rotary Club and Corridor G Regional Development Authority. Dr. Stollings has received numerous awards including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University; the 2012 Distinguished Community Health Champion Award from the West Virginia Primary Care Association and the Inaugural Oral Health Champion Award from the West Virginia Oral Health Coalition.
Saturday morning, Michael Daigneault, CEO & Founder of Quantum Governance, L3C, kicked off the day with a presentation on Intentional Governance: What is It and How Do We Organize Our Board to Achieve It? Followed by a keynote by Erin Brown, Social Media Director at Agency LMC, and Brock Malcolm, Partner at Bowles Rice, on Social Media Opportunities and Pitfalls.
The weekend event was sponsored by The Center for Rural Health Development with joint sponsorship provided by CAMC / Vandalia Health, WV Office of Rural Health, WV Higher Education Policy Commission, Marshall University School of Medicine’s Center for Rural Health, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, WV Highmark Foundation, and Logan Healthcare Foundation. Next year’s Appalachian Health Leadership Forum will be held on April 26 and 27, 2024 at Stonewall Resort and Conference Center.
