Center for Rural Health's Lynette Dickson receives award at national conference

Grand Forks, N.D.--Lynette Dickson, associate director of the State Office of Rural Health (SORH) Program at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences Center for Rural Health (CRH), received the James D. Bernstein Mentoring Award at the 2017 National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH) annual conference in Savannah, Ga.

The award honors an experienced, long-time rural health leader who is a member of NOSORH, is actively involved in a State Office of Rural Health, has sincere interest in emerging leaders’ professional growth, and has played a key role in developing future leaders within the national rural health movement.

Cathleen McElligott, director of the Massachusetts Office of Rural Health, nominated Dickson for the award and says, “For NOSORH, Dickson has provided extensive leadership for the Policy Program Monitoring Team and has been a true mentor and friend to so many. We appreciate the great wisdom and deep knowledge she shares with all of us and are very fortunate to have her as an important part of our community.”

NOSORH was established in 1995 to provide an influential voice for rural health concerns and promote a healthy rural America through state and community leadership.

Dickson has been at the CRH since 2003. She directs the SORH grant program, Flex program, and the Small Hospital Improvement Program. She also directs the outreach to North Dakota healthcare providers for the partnership with the Regional Extension and Assistance Center for Health Information Technology (HIT), serving North Dakota and Minnesota. She has worked as the area program manager for the North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota offices of the American Diabetes Association and as director of Camp Sioux, a summer camp for children diagnosed with diabetes. She has provided mentoring support to students at all levels in North Dakota, nurturing the pipeline of future rural health enthusiasts and providers.

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Marv Leier
Communication Manager
Center for Rural Health
UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences
marvin.leier@UND.edu