Reducing racial and societal inequities in rural healthcare delivery “major focus” for IRHA Program Director

National COIN innovation group tasked with “sharing ideas and developing innovative strategies and communication approaches” to reduce health and racial inequities in delivery of healthcare services, especially to women of childbearing age.

 TERRE HAUTE, Indiana – Conceiving, carrying and safely delivering healthy babies serves as a critical objective for any region, but is of particular importance in rural areas where inequities in healthcare access may prove challenging.

Reducing racial and societal inequities in healthcare delivery, especially the “very different dynamics” of social determinants affecting healthy pregnancies, represents a key focus for Joanah Wischmeier, BSN, RN. Wischmeier, a Project Director at the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA), was recently named to the inaugural national Healthy Start COIN (Collaborating Innovation Network), according to Cara Veale, DHS, OTR, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of IRHA. (A COIN is defined as a team of self-motivated people with a collective vision, enabled by the web to collaborate in achieving a common goal by sharing ideas, information and work.)

“Joanah has been deeply involved with our ‘Healthy Start Communities that C.A.R.E.’ program that promotes positive birth outcomes and optimal health for babies, mothers, fathers and families in southern Indiana” said Veale. “Given that the 10-member COIN innovation team is comprised of top professionals chosen from seven states, the selection of Joanah for this national role recognizes IRHA’s growing national reputation and the expertise of our staff in these critical areas.”

Wischmeier said that the COIN group is presently “aggressively brainstorming” the social determinants that provoke barriers to access to care, including but not limited to, transportation, medical insurance navigation and communication barriers.

“Our central focus is on increasing access to health care services, including efforts to optimize transportation and assist with language barriers to help with communication issues,” Wischmeier noted.

The group will continue focusing on “specific deliverables” to assist families, especially in rural areas. “It is certainly an honor to serve on this team,” Wischmeier said. “We look forward to contributing fresh ideas to address critical issues that mothers and families face in delivering positive and healthy birth outcomes.”

About the Indiana Rural Health Association

 The Indiana Rural Health Association was organized in 1997 and is a nonprofit organization working to enhance the health and well-being of rural populations in Indiana through leadership, education, advocacy, collaboration, and resource development. The strength of the organization is through the present diverse membership and the founding organizers who are committed to impacting the health of citizens through the identification of rural health issues and through advocacy roles in both the public and private sectors. IRHA membership is made up of 3,300 diverse individuals and organizations, making it the largest state rural health association in the nation, and a nationally recognized leader in rural health care. For more information, visit www.indianaruralhealth.org