Celebrating National Rural Health Day
Contact: Sarah Bello
CMH is proud to join communities across the country and the state of Oregon in celebrating National Rural Health Day (NRHD) on Thursday, November 20. This annual day represents the “Power of Rural” and recognizes the individuals and organizations committed to meeting the health care needs of nearly 61 million people living in rural America.
This year’s theme, “Moving the Power of Rural Forward,” highlights rural health care professionals and the important work they’re doing to improve the lives of others.
Governor Tina Kotek has proclaimed November 20 as Oregon Rural Health Day, as well. Thirty-three percent of Oregonians live, work and play in rural locations. Her proclamation recognizes rural hospitals and clinics as economic foundations in their communities and sources of innovation and resourcefulness reaching beyond boundaries, delivering high-quality care.
Providers and services
CMH currently employs over 925 caregivers. In the past year, we have added several new providers and surgeons to the hospital and the CMH-OHSU Health Medical Group. Please join us in welcoming the following:
- Debra White, FNP-C (Pulmonology, transferred from Urgent Care)
- Sergio Camba, MD (Emergency)
- Tonya Frederick, FNP-C (Urgent Care)
- Jon Ekstrom, MD (Radiology)
- Jonathan Crandall, CRNA (Anesthesia)
- Jimmy Heilman, MD, MBA (Emergency)
- Renee Roth, APRN, ACNP-BC (Medical Oncology)
- Nick Reeve, PA-C (Primary Care)
- Justin Holt, MD (Ear, Nose & Throat)
- Jake Watters, PA-C (Emergency)
- Margeaux Berroth, MD (Radiology)
- Amanda Shields, ANP-C (Palliative Care)
- Amber Hamilton, FNP-BC (Urgent Care)
- Rolf Sohlberg, MD (Orthopedics)
- Luke Roesel, CRNA (Anesthesia)
- Van Huynh, CRNA (Anesthesia)
- Mary-Carroll Lee, MD (Emergency)
These additions have created new opportunities for care, such as the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Clinic and Palliative Care program. We also expanded several services to include ENT and Urology surgeries in Pediatrics, hand and arm surgeries in Orthopedics, and Aquablation for the treatment of BPH in Urology, among other new services.
Award recognition
This year, CMH was the proud recipient of a handful of rural health awards:
2025 Rural Health Leadership Team Award
In February, the American Hospital Association recognized CMH’s leadership for responsiveness to community health needs and commitment to rural health care innovation.
Oregon Rural Health Excellence Award
The Oregon Office of Rural Health recently presented CMH with an Oregon Rural Health Excellence Award for a project submitted by the Patient Experience team: Meaningful Language Access Initiatives Improve the Hispanic and Latino Patient Experience. This was designed to reduce language barriers and promote equity in care.
2025 Most Wired Award Level 7
For the 12th time, CMH was the recipient of an annual award that recognizes excellence in health care information technology (IT). Our team received a Level 7 recognition for both acute and ambulatory care levels.
Looking forward
As we celebrate the first anniversary of the BuildCMH Expansion Project groundbreaking, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the opportunities it will bring to our rural community. Upon its completion in late 2027, the expansion will triple the size of the hospital, enhance service lines, and provide the latest technology to improve high-quality care where it’s needed most.
The pursuit of excellence is a continuous journey, and each of our caregivers plays an important role in helping people live their healthiest lives. Together, we’re Moving the Power of Rural Forward.
For more information about National Rural Health Day, visit https://powerofrural.org/.