National Rural Health Association

Improving the Health of 62 Million Rural Americans

Rural Health Congress

Section Links:

Overview

The Rural Health Congress is the policy-making body of the National Rural Health Association. It is made up of elected representatives from each of the association's nine constituency groups, State Association Council, State Office Council, issue groups and officers. This gives the board grassroots representation that reflects the concerns of NRHA's membership. The Rural Health Congress determines the association's positions on public policy through a series of policy briefs and issue papers.

Please contact NRHA's Government Affairs office (dc@NRHArural.org or 202-639-0550) with any questions.

 Rural Health Congress Roster

Officers

RH Congress Chair:
Tommy Barnhart
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Tommy.Barhnart@dhgllp.com

Vice Chair:
Beth O'Connor
Blacksburg, Va.
boconnor@vcom.vt.edu

Secretary:
James Tyler
Pearisburg, Va.
jetyler@carilionclinic.org

Treasurer:
Sandi Durick
Pierre, S.D.
sandra.durick@state.sd.us

President:
Kris Sparks
Olympia, Wash.
kris.sparks@doh.wa.gov

President-Elect:
Lance Keilers
Ballinger, Texas
lancek@bmhd.org

Past President:
Dennis Berens
Lincoln, Neb.
dennis.berens@hhss.ne.gov


Clinical CG

Chair:
Raymond Christensen
Duluth, Minn.
rchriste@d.umn.edu

Public Health Status CG

Chair:
Michael Meit
Bethesda, Md.
meit-michael@norc.org



Community-Operated Practices CG

Chair:
Scot Graff
Sioux Falls, S.D.
sgraff@usd.edu  

 

Diverse Underserved Population CG

Chair:
Alice Kirk
College Station, Texas
ab-kirk@tamu.edu


Frontier CG

Chair:
Charlie Alfero
Lordsburg, N.M.
calfero@hmsnm.org

Hospitals CG

Chair:
Jodi Schmidt
Hays, Kan.
jodi.schmidt@haysmed.com

Representatives:
John Everett
Snyder, Texas
jeverett@cogdellhospital.com

Tom Henton
La Jara, Colo.
chospital@amigo.net

David Pearson
Austin, Texas
dpearson@torchnet.org

Timothy Putnam
Batesville, Ind.
tim.putnam@mmch.org

Ryan White
Denver, CO
rwhite@eidebailly.com

John Worden
McPherson, Kan.
johnw@mcphersonmemorial.org

Ann Fagan Cook
Wheeler, Texas

annc@parkviewhosp.org 

Darrold Bertsch
Hazen, ND.

dbertsch@sakmedcenter.org 

Dennis Coffey
Southport, NC.

denniscoffey@dosher.org 

Gail Finley
Greenwood Village, Colo.

gail.finley@cha.com

Leslie Lacy
Saint Francis, Kan.

llacy@cheyennecountyhospital.com
    

Kevin Wellen
Saint Louis, Mous.

mailto:annc@parkviewhosp.org      

   


Research and Education CG

Chair:
Michael F. French
Kirksville, Mo.
mfrench@atsu.edu

Representatives:
Kevin Bennett
Columbia, S.C.
kevin.bennett@sc.edu

Kathleen Spencer
Grand Forks, N.D.
kathleen.spencer@med.und.edu

Patricia Moulton
Minot, SD.

pmoulton@medicine.nodak.edu 

John Gale
Portland, Maine

mailto:pmoulton@medicine.nodak.edu      

     

Rural Health Clinic CG

Chair:
Gail Nickerson
Roseville, Calif.
NickerGW@ah.org

Representatives:
Richard Garza
Port Isabel, Texas
pimedclinic@yahoo.com

Deborah Holzmark
Asheville, N.C.
Deborah.Holzmark@dhgllp.com

Michelle Mills
Aurora, Colo.

mm@coruralhealth.org

 

Julie McLemore
Sweetwater, Texas

jmclemore@camalott.com       


Statewide Health Resources CG

Chair:
Lisa Kilawee
Sioux Falls, S.D.
lisa.kilawee@avera.org

Representatives:
Jerry Coopey
Seabrook, Md.
jcoopey1@verizon.net

Brad Gibbens
Grand Forks, N.D.
brad.gibbens@med.und.edu

Janice Wilkins
Stuart, Va.
jawilkins2008@yahoo.com

Judy Mikami
Kaunakakai, Hawaii
jasmikami@yahoo.com


Lynda Bergsma
Tuscon, Ariz.
lbergsma@u.arizona.edu  
         

 

State Association Council

Chair's Designee:

Cari Fouts

Aurora, Colo.

cf@coruralhealth.org        

Representatives:
John Roberts
Lincoln, Neb.
jroberts@mwhc-inc.com

Stacy Young
Napoleonville, La.
fontenot@lrha.org


State Office Council

Chair:
Graham Adams
Lexington, S.C.
adams@scorh.net

Past Presidents Council

Through 2012:
Bill Sexton
Seaside, Ore.
sextonw@pdcmemorialhospital.org

Through 2015:
Beth Landon
Raham, NM.
beth.landon@live.com

Through 2016:
Dennis Berens
Lincoln, Neb.
dennis.berens@hhss.ne.gov


 

Minority and Multicultural Council

Chair:

Sandra Pope
Charleston, W.Va.
spope@hsc.wvu.edu           

Representative:

Eron Manusov
Tallahassee, Flor.
Eron.Manusov@med.fsu.edu  
         

Student CG

Chair:

Michelle Clark-Forsting
Merrillan, Wisc.
clarkforstin@wisc.edu  

Representative:

Michael Small
Hoyleton, Il.
msmall@siu.edu  
  
        

           

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