The first local celebration of National Rural Health Day will take place Thursday, November 17, 2011. The purpose of National Rural
Health Day is to highlight rural communities as wonderful places to live and work and to increase awareness of rural health-related
issues. The celebration further serves as an opportunity to accent the public library as a resource for health information.
Approximately 62 million people – one in five Americans – live in rural areas. According to the Rural Assistance Center, two in five
Arkansans live in rural areas.
The Independence County Library, North Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC-NC), Independence County HHI Wellness Coalition, and Ozark Foothills Literacy Project are presenting the First Annual National Rural Health Day Celebration in Batesville. The celebration will take place at the library, located at 368 East Main Street, Batesville, AR on Thursday, Nov. 17th from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Open to the public, the event will include door prizes, activities for children, speakers, and a rich assortment of local health resources.
The schedule of presenters is as follows:
11:30a Diabetes Prevention (AHEC-NC diabetes educator Rhonda Woods, RN)
12:00p Be MedWise (Cooperative Extension Agent Stephanie Schindler)
12:30p DARE (Officer Cord Davis)
1:00p Batesville Firefighters
1:30p Injury Prevention (Layce Vance, ATC, Recreational Safety
Analyst, Statewide Injury Prevention Program, Arkansas Children’s
Hospital)
2:00p Center for Rural Health (Bruce Thomasson)
National Rural Health Day is important because it provides an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge health issues of people who
live and work in rural areas. Rural health care providers play an essential role in bringing local access to vital primary care
services, in addition to the positive economic contributions they make to their local communities. We all make choices affecting our health every day.
To learn more about National Rural Health Day and ways you can get involved, visit www.ruralhealth.und.edu/ruralhealthday or
www.celebratepowerofrural.org.
For local information, contact the Independence County Library – (870) 793-8814 – 368 East Main Street, Batesville, AR – www.indcolib.com
