About the Dakota Conference on Rural Health

The Dakota Conference has served as an interdisciplinary forum for more than 40 years. The conference provides an opportunity to share strategies for building and sustaining healthy communities in North Dakota.

The Dakota Conference includes preconference meetings, keynote speakers, a variety of breakout sessions, poster presentations, time to visit with industry exhibitors, and an awards banquet

Mission

• Provide quality education for rural health professionals.

Vision

• Improve the health and well-being of North Dakota communities.

Goals

1. Provide continuing education to health and human service administrators, managers, researchers, and clinical providers in the areas of:
   • Healthcare administration
   • Health promotion and disease prevention
   • Environmental health and occupational health
   • Diverse populations and health disparities
2. Create an environment of learning that is informative and educational to an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary audience of health and human service professionals.
3. Provide conference participants with the opportunity to formally present community-based solutions to common rural health issues.
4. Provide conference participants with the opportunity to informally network with others to share skills and strategies meant to address access, financial, and quality-of-care issues found in rural health.
5. Foster an environment that is conducive to collaboration between different organizations, health and human service disciplines, and communities.

Objectives

Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to describe strategies meant to address access, financial, and quality-of-care issues found in rural health. Participants will be able to define solutions to improving health and develop skills that will be taken to the participant's communities and implemented in their healthcare practices.

Conference Planning Committee Members

• Nicole Threadgold, Center for Rural Health
• Tracy Evanson, UND College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines
• Audrey Lorenz, Altru Health System
• Brittany Ness, North Dakota Rural Health Association

Composition of Planning Committee

• Altru Health System
• Center for Rural Health – also provide coordination and facilitation
• UND College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines
• North Dakota Rural Health Association

Questions?

Nicole Threadgold
(701) 330-3264
nicole.threadgold@UND.edu