County Commissioner Angela Harding receives Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – Angela Harding, Clinton County Commissioner, has received the Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award, presented by the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health (PORH). The award was presented Monday at the commissioners’ work session by Lisa Davis, director of PORH and outreach associate professor of health policy and administration at Penn State.
The Rural Health Legislator of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding legislator from Pennsylvania for their work and support of rural health initiatives that address an identified need in their district or across the state.
The award was presented during Rural Health Week in Pennsylvania, Nov. 15-19. The week encompassed Nov. 18, which is National Rural Health Day, established in 2011 by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. Both events celebrate “The Power of Rural” by honoring rural American residents, health care providers, and communities.
The nomination, submitted by Beth McMahon Ph.D., Emerita Professor, Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, PA, lauded Harding’s commitment to identifying and addressing critical rural health issues including education, the environment, and transportation; advocating for equality across all sectors in Pennsylvania; engaging younger professionals and women in leadership roles; and moving Clinton County forward through development, growth, recruitment, and retention.
Noted McMahon, “At the start of the pandemic, Harding spearheaded the Community Emergency Coalition to address COVID-19 to engage community leaders and institutions for information sharing, encouraging partnerships, and creating a unified front in addressing community needs, as well as developing a pandemic policy handbook for all county employees.”
Harding developed a ‘Relocation Incentive Program’ using federal America Rescue Plan funds to encourage individuals to work and live in Clinton County. She collaborated with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation on a multimodal strategy to improve transportation opportunities to address the rural challenges of access to health care and other services.
Harding said the accomplishments listed in the award were not of her own doing, but thanked the community members who “stepped up” to make them happen.
PORH formed in 1991 as a joint partnership between the federal government, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and Penn State. The office is one of 50 state offices of rural health in the nation and is charged with being a source of coordination, technical assistance, networking, and partnership development.
PORH provides expertise in the areas of rural health, population health, quality improvement, oral health, and agricultural health and safety. PORH is administratively located in the Department of Health Policy and Administration in the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State University Park.
Each year, PORH presents awards to recognize rural health programs and individuals who have made substantial contributions to rural health in Pennsylvania. To learn more about the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, visit porh.psu.edu.
