Past Rural Health Awards

Award History

The Rural Health Awards have been part of the Rural Impact Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations in rural communities for outstanding rural development and health efforts. Our jointly presented by MRHA, Rural Maryland Council (RMC), and the State Office of Rural Health. In 2013 the full awards were reinstated at the Rural Action Assembly hosted by all three state rural serving organizations. Between 2010-2012 and now continuing forward since 2014, MRHA has continued the tradition of the awards recognizing the health-related categories at the Annual Rural Health Conference.

2023 Rural Health Awards – Presented at the 2023 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Bob Stephens, Health Officer, Garrett County, and past Secretary of the MRHA Board of Directors, 2023 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement Award
• Dr. Shiv C. Khanna, Internal Medicine, Cumberland, Maryland, 2023 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Sean T. Allen, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Bloomberg Professor of American Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2023 Outstanding Rural Health Advocate
• Salisbury Wicomico Integrated Firstcare Team (SWIFT), Wicomico County Health Department, Tidal Health at Peninsula Regional, and the Salisbury Fire Department (SFD), 2023 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Dr. Douglas Wilson, 2023 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer

2022 Rural Health Awards – Presented at the 2022 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Christine Wray, FACHE, Retired, Former President, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, and MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, and Senior Vice President, MedStar Health 2022 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement Award
• Gretchen Seibert, DDS, Dentistry Practitioner, Cumberland, Maryland 2022 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Roger Harrell, MHA, Health Officer, Dorchester County 2022 Outstanding Rural Health Advocate
• C.A.R.E. (Carroll Anti-Stigma Resiliency Efforts) Program, The Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County 2022 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Robert and Jojo Appel & Jeff and Penny Alkire 2022 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer

2021 Rural Health Awards – Presented at the 2021 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Lori Russell, BSN. RN-CHPN, Western Maryland Palliative Care Program - 2021 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Russel Moy, MD, MPH, Retired Health Officer, Harford County, Maryland, Department of Health - 2021 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement Award
• Lara Wilson, MS, Director, Rural Health Care Transformation, University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, and Immediate Past Executive Director, MRHA - 2021 Outstanding Rural Health Advocate
• Health Partners, Inc. Dental Program - 2021 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Senator Mary Beth Carozza, District 38, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties - 2021 Outstanding Rural Health Legislator

2020 Rural Health Awards – Presented at the 2022 VIRTUAL Maryland Rural Health Conference
View the ceremony on MRHA’s YouTube Channel: 2020 VIRTUAL Maryland Rural Health Awards Presentation.

• Fran Phillips, Former Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services, Maryland Department of Health - 2020 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Kathryn Franzen, BSN, RN, Director Hospice and Palliative Care, Hospice of St. Mary’s, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital - 2020 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• David Stewart, Program Director, AHEC West Health Insurance Program - 2020 Outstanding Rural Health Advocate
• AHEC West’s Health Right Dental Program - 2020 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• William Todd, M.D., EMS Medical Director for Worcester, Wicomico, and Somerset - 2020 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Delegate Sheree Sample-Hughes, District 37A, Dorchester & Wicomico Counties - 2020 Thomas ‘Mac’ Middleton Maryland Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award

2019 Rural Health Awards – Presented at the 2019 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Rod Kornrumpf, FACHE, Regional Executive Director of Behavioral Health, the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health - 2019 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Karen L. Twigg, MSM-HCA, BSN, RN, CMCN, Associate Vice President of Community Health, The Coordinating Center - 2019 Outstanding Rural Health Advocate (Inaugural Award!)
• Dr. Sandra Garbely-Kerkovich, DMD, Senior Vice President & Chief Dental Officer, Choptank Community Health - 2019 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Bob and Stephanie Gray, Devoted activists with the Mission of Mercy Dental Clinics - 2019 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• The Queen Anne’s County Health Department’s Mobile Integrated Community Health (MICH) Program - 2019 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Delegate Mike McKay, District 1C, Allegany and Washington Counties - 2019 Thomas ‘Mac’ Middleton Maryland Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award

2018 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2018 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Shelley Argabrite & John Corbin for their work on The Universal Community Planning Tool - 2018 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Karan Bealla, PharmD, Atlantic General Hospital’s AGHRx RediScripts - 2018 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• The Wellness Action Teams of Cecil and Harford Counties - 2018 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Greg Reuss, Board Member, Maryland Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention & Member of the Behavioral Health Action Team of the Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership - 2018 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Adelaide C. (Addie) Eckardt, District 37, Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot, & Wicomico Counties - 2018 Outstanding Rural Health Legislator Award
• *Announced renaming: The Thomas ‘Mac’ Middleton Maryland Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award to be presented in January 2019.
  

2017 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2017 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Leslie Stevens, Retired from the Allegany County Health Department, Dental Program - 2017 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Thomas Annulis, MD, Calvert Memorial Hospital, CARES Clinic - 2017 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Geriatrics and Gerontology Education and Research Program (GGEAR), University of Maryland Baltimore - 2017 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Nathaniel Scroggins, Minority Outreach Coalition, St. Mary’s County - 2017 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Heidi McNeeley, Worcester County Warriors - 2017 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Thomas McLain (Mac) Middleton, District 28, Charles County - 2017 Outstanding Rural Health Legislator Award

2016 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2016 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Jacob Frego, Executive Director, Eastern Shore AHEC - 2016 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• John Roache, MD, General Surgeon, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital - 2016 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Center for Clinical Resources, Western Maryland Health System - 2016 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Donald Cather, Jr., Board Member, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital - 2016 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Samuel F. Brown, President, A Community That Shares - 2016 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer

2015 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2015 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Cathy S. Chapman, CRNP - 2015 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Jeanie Holtz, RDH - 2015 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Integrated Health Literacy Program - 2015 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Lori Brewster, MS, APRN/BC, LCADC - 2015 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Warren “Ed” Montgomery - 2015 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Senator James M. Mathias, Jr. - 2015 Outstanding Rural Health Legislator Award

2014 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2014 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Mary Money, MD, FACP - 2014 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Caroline/Dorchester Health Enterprise Zone: Competent Care Connections - 2014 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• William Pope, MD, MPH - 2014 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Claudia Baquet, MD, MPH - 2014 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Senator Catherine Pugh, District 40 - 2014 Outstanding Legislator Award

2013 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2013 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Diane D. Romaine, D.D.S. - 2013 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Atlantic General PCMH - 2013 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Susan Stewart - 2013 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Sandy Bell & Chief Warrant Officer Nathaniel O. Scroggins, USN retired - 2013 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteers
• Senator George C. Edwards, District 1 - 2013 Outstanding Legislator Award 

2012 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2012 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Garner D. Morgan, D.D.S. - MRHA2012 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Allegany County Health Department Dental Clinic - MRHA 2012 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Nancy Forlifer - MRHA 2012 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Kim Klump - MRHA 2012 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Senator Thomas M. Middleton - MRHA 2012 Outstanding Health Legislator Award

2011 Rural Health Awards - Presented at the 2011 Maryland Rural Health Conference

• Christine B. Leo, BS, RDH & Dr. James Patrick Jarboe - MRHA 2011 Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner
• Western Maryland Mission of Mercy - MRHA 2011 Outstanding Rural Health Program
• Holly Emmons, RD, LD, MPA - MRHA 2011 Outstanding Rural Health Achievement
• Donna Clark - MRHA 2011 Outstanding Rural Health Volunteer
• Senator Richard F. Colburn - 2011 MRHA Outstanding Health Legislator Award