NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH DAY
2024
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, North Carolina has the second largest rural population in the nation, and its rural health care system is an important economic foundation of rural communities; and
WHEREAS, rural communities in North Carolina are wonderful places to live, work, and play; they are enriched by the diverse people who call rural North Carolina home; and
WHEREAS, rural health care providers, including doctors, nurses, and support staff, are dedicated professionals who serve tirelessly to ensure the health and well-being of rural populations, providing comprehensive, compassionate, patient-centered and holistic care to patients; and
WHEREAS, meeting the health care needs of our state is a constantly evolving process, as each rural community faces unique challenges that they need to address to improve the health of our state now and in the future; and
WHEREAS, while we acknowledge our community’s health care challenges, we also recognize and celebrate our spirit of innovation as we strive to improve access to and quality of care for all our neighbors; and
WHEREAS, achieving health equity and eliminating health disparities are essential to ensuring that all North Carolinians, regardless of their geographic location, have equal access to high-quality healthcare services; and it is imperative that we continue to support and invest in the health infrastructure of our rural communities; and
WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and the North Carolina Office of Rural Health, along with other interested agencies and organizations, recognize the unique healthcare needs and opportunities that exist across our great state, and celebrate our healthcare communities, organizations, and providers for the valuable services they continue to provide;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim November 21, 2024, as “NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
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Roy Cooper
Governor
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this eighteenth day of November in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.