Wayne County commissioners and healthcare organizations honored National Rural Health Day on Nov. 16.
Since 2020, Wayne County has signed a proclamation recognizing the event on every third Thursday of Nov. They are the only Pennsylvania county to honor National Rural Health Day. The day celebrates efforts to address rural America’s distinct healthcare challenges.
Wayne County’s commissioners won the 2023 National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health Collaborative Award on Thursday. Chairman Brian Smith said the award signifies the county’s effort to model a cooperative environment for local healthcare providers.
A few years ago, before speaking with local providers like Wayne Memorial Hospital, Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers, The Wright Center for Community Health, The Himalayan Institute, and the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health – Smith said they were in competition, not communication.
“We asked them to work together. And we expected that they would work together. And it really has become a model that’s a sustainable model. It’s through our conversations with them, but also cooperations between themselves,” said Smith.
Giving providers the space to work together was all it took to see major changes in the county’s health network, said Vice Chair Jocelyn Cramer.
“Honestly, I think it was all in their hearts and muscles to work together anyway. But when you ask, they really stepped it up and did. And our community has benefited from that,” said Cramer.
Linda Thomas-Hemak, Director and CEO of The Wright Center, praised Wayne County for modeling a more equitable relationship for local healthcare providers.
“In the rest of the industry, it’s always about the money,” said Thomas-Hemak. “And nothing good comes from that, when you put people at odds with the money. Nothing.”
Terri Lacey, Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers’s CEO, credits a culture of civility for enabling her organization to provide healthcare across the county.
“This past year, we’ve recruited over 20 providers. The highest number [for us] so far. And we have hit over 375 employees. We have a handful of open positions. And I attribute that to our community,” said Lacey.
Chairman Brian Smith is optimistic that the county’s healthcare system will continue to develop in the coming years.
“Other hospitals are closing and people are getting sick of the fact of the instability [in healthcare]. Y’know, it was illustrated to us here…it becomes easier to hire in a rural area. Y’know, people more and more are looking for a quality of life and maybe not the rat race,” said Smith.
While commissioners and healthcare organizations celebrated their achievements on Thursday, they also talked about how they can further improve the county’s medical services. Commissioner James Shook said that the Commission will work to fix their emergency services wait times.
“As commissioners, y’know, we’re responsible for the safety and the health of all of our residents. So, I think in 2024 we’re going to make it an important initiative to get out and spend more time talking with supervisors to help alleviate some of the lag times in services,” said Shook.
Depending on the township or borough, it can take up to 45 minutes for an ambulance to get into the area, according to commissioners, EMS workers, and other local officials.
