North Dakota Rural Health Clinic Network in Nation's Capital

Aug 7, 2025

This summer staff and members from the North Dakota Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Network attended the 2025 National Association of Rural Health Clinics Policy Summit in Washington D.C., held on June 24-25. During the two-day event, Center for Rural Health (CRH) staff Rebecca Quinn, associate director, and Anna Walter, project coordinator, along with Brock Sherva, CEO of Northwood Deaconess Health Center, and Dustin Hager, COO of Heart of America Medical Center, had the opportunity to visit with other RHCs across the country to discuss rural healthcare policy. The North Dakota RHC Network is housed at CRH.

June 25 was Hill Day, which allowed the group to meet with all three of North Dakota's congressional delegations. They visited with Senator John Hoeven, and representatives from Senator Kevin Cramer's and Representative Julie Fedorchak's offices. During these meetings they were able to share the value healthcare has in North Dakota and the needs of rural communities across the state.

"It was a great opportunity to be able to meet with the congressional offices," said Walter, "and we were pleased Brock and Dustin could share their direct experience with their RHCs. The collaboration between North Dakota RHCs and CRH is incredibly valuable."

The North Dakota RHC Network provides members with support for meeting Conditions for Certification, quality and performance improvement, and to improve communication and collaboration among healthcare providers to best serve the rural health organization and its communities. They do this through networking, education, and policy efforts.