Summit to address rural program, policy needs Oct. 27

October 17, 2022

Summit to address rural program, policy needs Oct. 27

The SIU School of Medicine’s Department of Population Science and Policy, SIU School of Law and Southern Illinois Healthcare will present the 2022 Innovating Illinois Rural Health Summit: Addressing Rural Needs in Programs and Policies later this month.

The in-person and virtual event is from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 27 in Springfield. The summit will bring together local and state experts in health, law and public policy to highlight successful programs and troubleshoot longstanding rural health challenges.

The registration fee for SIU School of Medicine, SIU Carbondale and SIU Edwardsville faculty, staff or students, and health/law professions students is $35. For others, the in-person fee is $100; virtual fee is $75.

Advance registration is required. Accreditation and credit are available for select individuals.

Keynote speakers include Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sameer Vohra and Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Theresa Eagleson. Session topics include children’s mental health, the health care workforce, rural opioid use and the role of a rural hospital.

“A greater system of care emerges when equity, mental health and the social determinants of health are considered by hospitals, health care, social service providers and community leaders,” said Wiley Jenkins, interim chair of the medical school’s Department of Population Science and Policy. “This conference will highlight rural innovations and address the specific needs of the state’s unique rural communities.”