National Rural Health Day
Join us for Critical Access Hospitals and CMS Rural Health Clinics Meeting and National Rural Health Day:
From Tradition to Transformation
November 18 and 19, 2026!
Location:
Eastern AHEC
2600 Arlington Blvd.
Greenville, NC 27834
Please complete the registration form below and indicate which day(s) you plan to attend.
Register Here.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Critical Access, Small Rural Hospitals, and Rural Health Clinics Statewide Meeting
Who should attend? NC Critical Access and Small Rural Hospital Leaders and Staff as well as leaders in CMS-designated Rural Health Clinics.
On Wednesday the agenda features a panel on the role of Critical Access Hospitals and CMS Rural Health Clinics in the rural health landscape, an interactive activity before a complimentary lunch and a film screening. Afternoon sessions include breakout discussions on quality improvement and clinic growth, updates on rural GME opportunities and a panel on RHTP initiatives with networking. The day concludes with summaries and a transition to National Rural Health Day.
Thursday, November 19, 2026: 9:30 am-3:30 pm
National Rural Health Day Celebration
Who should attend? Anyone with an interest in improving rural health across North Carolina and celebrating our rural providers and the communities they serve.
The event will open with remarks from NC DHHS Secretary Devdutta Sangvai, as well as a video address from Governor Josh Stein. Attendees will also hear from Congresswoman Eva Clayton, North Carolina’s Community Star for 2026.
Engage in conversation regarding the opportunities in NC to invest in our communities including workforce development, technology including a ready-to-use rural AI toolkit and opportunities to support rural North Carolina’s maternal health with new and expanded programs.
This year’s National Rural Health Day theme is From Tradition to Transformation.
Rural NC has always used creative problem solving in the face of fixed resources building on the strength of our relationships. We are especially excited to explore how increased partnership engagement can help guide resources toward improving the health infrastructure of rural North Carolina. As the state with the second largest rural population in the nation, North Carolina has the opportunity to build on our strengths as we work together to support and improve the vitality of our rural communities for everyone.
At the 2026 National Rural Health Day we will:
- Celebrate Rural Strengths and Community Leadership: Recognize the contributions, resilience, and traditions of rural communities while highlighting leadership, partnerships, and innovative approaches that strengthen rural healthcare systems.
- Advance Technology and Innovative Care Delivery: Identify opportunities to leverage telehealth, emerging technologies, and technical assistance resources, including the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), to improve healthcare access, strengthen clinical workflows, and support whole-person-centered care.
- Strengthen Rural Healthcare Workforce and Leadership Sustainability: Explore strategies for workforce development, leadership succession planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and organizational readiness to address evolving healthcare needs, particularly in Eastern North Carolina.
- Examine Maternal Healthcare Access and Maternity Deserts: Explore challenges associated with declining maternity services, provider shortages, and geographic barriers while identifying community-based partnerships and innovative care models that improve maternal healthcare access and continuity of care.
- Translate Shared Challenges into Collaborative Action: Engage in interactive storytelling, problem-solving, and strategic discussions to identify actionable solutions across three transformation priorities: technology readiness, workforce and leadership sustainability, and maternal healthcare access.
Participants may register for November 18, November 19, or both days. Participants may choose to attend either virtually or in person. In-person capacity is limited to approximately 100 people and is available on a first come, first served basis.
Registration will close on November 11, one week before the date of the event. Once participants register they can opt in to receive their responses via email. The email will include a reminder to the participant to mark their calendar for the event. The information for attendees, including a reminder for the event and a link to join for virtual attendees will be sent out to those registered in advance of the meeting.
Lunch will be served during the in-person meetings and options for individuals with dietary restrictions will be made available upon indication in the signup form.
Please note, National Rural Health Day is a statewide celebration. Virtual watch parties across the state can participate in the event. If you are interested in hosting a virtual watch party, please contact your regional Operations Specialist to receive a Virtual Watch Party Toolkit.
Leslie Wolcott, Rural Health Operations Specialist – Medicaid Regions 3 and 5, Leslie.Wolcott@dhhs.nc.gov
Kimberly R. McNeil, Rural Health Operations Specialist – Medicaid Regions 4 and 6 Kimberly.R.Mcneil@dhhs.nc.gov
Justin Kearley, Rural Health Operations Specialist – Medicaid Regions 1 and 2 Justin.Kearley@dhhs.nc.gov