February 2025 Center for Rural Health Update
FOCUS on Rural Health
Paving a Path to
Resilience
The North Dakota Brain Injury Network (NDBIN) receives grant to provide resources to incarcerated brain
injury survivors.
News
Submit Your Scrubs Academy I and II Applications
Today!
Applications are now open for the Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning in Health
(R-COOL-Health) Scrubs Academy I and II. Scrubs Academies are for middle school (Academy I) and high school
(Academy II) students to explore healthcare professions.
New
Director: 'UND's Center for Rural Health Is Unmatched'
The University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) held a conversation
with new CRH Director Dr. Jacob Warren, featured in UND Today.
2025 Mind Matters Conference to Be Held March 20-21
in Mandan
The Mind Matters Conference, hosted by NDBIN, is for individuals with brain injury, their family members,
caregivers, and providers.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Grant
Recipients Announced
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation grants have been awarded to eight organizations.
UND
Med School's Biennial Report Says Residents Generally Healthy, but Birth Rates Continue
Decline
Article from the Grand Forks Herald regarding the Eighth Biennial Report: Health Issues for the
State of North Dakota, 2025, by the Healthcare Workforce Group.
Funding & Other Opportunities
2025 Dakota Conference on Rural
and Public Health
The 2025 Dakota Conference will take place June 17-19 in Bismarck, North Dakota. Connect with
healthcare professionals, educators, and students from across the state to discuss strategies and challenges
related to rural health.
- The exhibitor registration deadline is February 26
- The early bird registration deadline for participants is May 20
Flex 2025
Annual Meeting
Register now for the 2025 Flex Annual Meeting for all North Dakota Critical Access Hospitals and Rural
Health Clinics on April 23 & 24 in Bismarck.
Deadline: April 9
The Rural Residency Planning and Development
Program
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has a funding opportunity to develop new sustainable rural
residency programs, including rural track programs.
Deadline: April 10
Rural Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly
(PACE) Planning and Development
The Federal Office of Rural Health Policy has a funding opportunity to improve medical and social services
for adults aged 55 and older in rural areas.
Deadline: April 17
CRH Events
| February 19 |
Webinar: Vivistim Learn about Vivistim, a new technology for stroke survivors. Vivistim, paired with vagus nerve stimulation therapy has been shown to have success among 300 patients across the U.S. Hosted by NDBIN. |
| March 5 |
TeleECHO:
Helping Anxious Kids Through Understanding and Intervention Presented by Monica McConkey, a Minnesota-based rural mental health specialist, this clinic will focus on pediatric mental health. |
| March 6 |
New QSP: Next Steps Monthly
Meeting This monthly meeting will provide recently approved QSPs an introduction to the QSP handbook as well as resources, links, and advice to support them as a QSP. |
| March 11 |
TeleECHO:
Longevity This Geriatric and Age-Friendly teleECHO will feature Dr. Donald Jurivich, a geriatrician and chair of the Department of Geriatrics at the UND SMHS. |
| March 19 |
NDAD Client Services Hosted by NDBIN, this webinar will share services offered to individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions by the North Dakota Association for the Disabled. |
Publications & Resources
Eighth
Biennial Report on Health Issues for the State of North Dakota, 2025
This report provides a detailed look at the status of health, healthcare delivery, and the healthcare
workforce across the state.
Narcotics and the Brain: The
"Why" of Dependency and "What" of Treatment
Abby Lund Da Costa, a third-year medical student at the UND SMHS, writes about opioids. She is part of the
Targeted Rural Health Education project, which helps resident physicians and health profession students take
a closer look at the health needs of communities in which they are training.