Lynette Dickson, MS, RD, LRD

Lynette Dickson is an associate director of Community Outreach and Engagement, at the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota (UND), School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Grand Forks, ND. She has been with the Center since February 2003.

Dickson directs the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) grant program, Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility program, Small Hospital Improvement Program which are sponsored by the Health Resource Services and Administration (HRSA) Office of Rural Health Policy. In her position she also directs the outreach to North Dakota health care providers for the partnership with the Regional Extension and Assistance Center for HIT, serving North Dakota and Minnesota, funded by the federal DHHS, Office of the National Coordinator for HIT. She is currently appointed, by the Governor, to the North Dakota Health Information Technology Advisory Committee and serves as vice-chair; as well as the ND EMS Advisory Committee. In addition, she serves as the director of the Area Health Education Center program office. As part of the core function of the programs listed above she provides direction to projects related to health IT, workforce development, recruitment and retention; and is actively involved in health policy, government affairs, community development, strategic planning and grant development. She serves on the Noridian Mutual Insurance Co., (BCBSND) Board of Directors and is Past-President of the National Organization of State Office of Rural Health (NOSORH) and continues to serve on the Board of Directors.

Prior to coming to the Center for Rural Health, she worked as the area program manager for the American Diabetes Association–North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota office and director of Camp Sioux, a summer camp for children diagnosed with diabetes, for eight years.

Dickson received her Master of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics from North Dakota States University in Fargo and her Bachelor of Science degree in food and nutrition from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah and is a licensed registered dietitian. She has four children, three daughters and one son.

Established in 1980, the Center for Rural Health is one of the nation's most experienced rural health organizations. It has developed a full complement of programs to assist researchers, educators, policymakers, health care providers and, most importantly, rural residents to address changing rural environments by identifying and researching rural health issues, analyzing health policy, strengthening local capabilities, developing community-based alternatives, and advocating for rural concerns.

Contact Information:

Tel:	(701) 777-6049
Email:	lynette.dickson@med.und.edu
Website:	http://ruralhealth.und.edu

Projects

• Area Health Education Center Program -- The purpose of the AHEC is to improve the distribution, diversity, supply and quality of health care personnel in the health care services delivery system.
• Community Apgar Project -- A research-validated questionnaire used to assist rural hospitals in North Dakota identify strengths and challenges related to recruiting Family Medicine Physicians.
• Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health -- Provides an opportunity for over 300 health care professionals, educators, and students to share strategies for building and sustaining healthy communities in North Dakota.
• Flex -- Assist small rural hospitals to maintain access to health services for rural residents.
• Health in Partnership with Education (HIPE) Week -- HIPE Week is an opportunity to educate students about health care related professions.
• Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning in Health (R-COOL-Health) Scrubs Program -- Camps hosted in rural communities and at UND that introduce students to health care careers and opportunities in North Dakota through interactive activities.
• Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program -- Provides funding to small rural hospitals to help them pay for costs related to the implementation of PPS, comply with provisions of HIPAA, and reduce medical errors and support quality improvement.
• State Office of Rural Health -- A federal-state partnership to help rural communities build their health care services through public and private partnerships and initiatives in rural health development.

Publications

• Adoption of Electronic Health Records in North Dakota, Dickson, L., February 2013
  Discusses electronic medical records in North Dakota, meaningful use, adoption of EHRs, and challenges.
• Primary Care Workforce Project Report, Hart, G., Wynne, J., & Dickson, L., June 2012
  Highlights a one-day rural Primary Care Symposium which featured focus groups that gathered input from a variety of community members about improving access to primary care services, raising awareness of local and state efforts to recruit ND youth for health care (specifically primary care) professions, and encouraging ND youth to remain in or return to the state after graduation.
• Report on Community Health Worker Programs, Dickson, L., June 2012
  Presents examples of Community Health Worker programs in numerous states. Gathers information to assist in establishing a CHW program in North Dakota. Includes CHW programs in Minnesota, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Colorado, Washington, and Wisconsin.
• Environmental Scan of Health Information Technology (HIT) Adoption amongst North Dakota Health Care Entities, Dickson, L., Nissen, K., Wolf, S., Peterson, C., & Willis, N., July 2012
  Assesses the level of adoption of electronic health records (EHR) and telehealth; and health information technology workforce in hospitals, independent rural clinics, community health centers, clinical laboratories, pharmacies, long term care, and local public health units and departments throughout North Dakota.
• Connecting North Dakota for a Healthier Future, Dickson, L., Nissen, K., & Rodriguez, M., December 2008
  Discusses North Dakota's progress in converting to electronic health records. Addresses barriers for completion and offers resolutions.
• North Dakota Health Information Technology (HIT) Fact Sheet, Dickson, L., January 2008
  Describes HIT, its uses within North Dakota and the role of the HIT Steering committee. The information in this fact sheet was collected from the North Dakota State HIT report, Connecting North Dakota for a Healthier Future, Dec. 2008.

Presentations

• Fundamentals of Grant Writing
  Presented by Gibbens, B. & Dickson, L. on Mar 12, 2010 at the Center for Rural Health students, staff and faculty, Grand Forks, ND.
  The three hour workshop emphasized skills in writing a proposal including resources for grant writing, planning and assessment, the main sections of a grant, tips on grant writing, budgeting, evaluation and sustainability, and other tools to aid in the development of a grant proposal.
• An Overview of the North Dakota Health Information Technology (HIT) Steering Committee
  Presented by Dickson, L. on Aug 27, 2008 at the North Dakota Information Technology Interim Legislative Committee, Bismarck, ND.
  
• Working to Achieve HRSA’s Vision in North Dakota, in Partnership with the Center for Rural Health
  Presented by Wakefield, M., Miller, M., & Dickson, L. on Dec 10, 2007 at the meeting with HRSA administrator, Dr. Elizabeth Duke, Grand Forks, ND.
  
• Flex CAH HIT Kickoff Meeting
  Presented by Miller, M. & Dickson, L. on Oct 25, 2007 at the Flex CAH Hit Project participants meeting, Grand Forks, ND.
  
• An Overview of Health Information Technology Activities in North Dakota
  Presented by Dickson, L. on Jun 15, 2007 at the Regional HIT Conference, Billings, MT.
  
• Rural Economic Development Believes in Wellness Too
  Presented by Dickson, L., Gibbens, B., & Rice, J. on May 16, 2007 at the National Rural Health Association Annual Conference, Anchorage, AK.
  

Topic Areas

• Emergency Medical Services
• Health Information Technology
• Health Workforce
• Hospitals and Facilities
• Public Health
• Quality
• Working with Communities