Ohio Rural Health Association holds conference in Ada

ADA, OH (WLIO) - The Ohio Rural Health Association held its annual conference on Tuesday in Ada.

The two-day Ohio Rural Health event aimed to educate and engage attendees on issues such as billing, telehealth, human trafficking, and much more from the USDA and federal government. A panel discussion featuring three women leaders from different areas talked about their different journeys to find "Superpowers to Success."

They also had the chance to listen to the report on the state of rural health. Through an informative pair of sessions on Ohio Northern's campus, the association worked to advocate for and represent rural Ohio.

"The biggest issue that we have is lack of resources, so anything that you can say that people lack in urban areas, you can almost multiply that four rural areas. So, transportation, insurance, providers—you name it, we're lacking it," said Beth Kluding, president of the Ohio Rural Health Association.

Most health issues in rural communities seem unexpected but are a big concern because of limited access. 

"Social determinants of health can lead you down the path of things you know like diabetes, heart disease, obesity; all of those things lead to poor health outcomes, and you see that greater with the rural. Really, mental health, suicide rate among farmers is big, and I don't know that anybody is even talking about that," added Klauding.

The Ohio Rural Health Association is continuing to combat these issues by working with legislators and researchers and sharing stories of those affected by these health issues.