RURAL HEALTH INFORMATION HUB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- CEO, National Rural Health Association
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Web Writer
Allee Mead has been a Web Writer for the Rural Health Information Hub since 2016.
Allee writes original content for the website, including RHIhub's Models and Innovations and Rural Monitor articles and serves as copy editor. She has written about topics such as maternal mortality, farmers' mental health, and senior care. For Allee, a big piece of this role is identifying gaps in the available information and finding ways to fill them. Being able to highlight the way people in rural areas meet challenges allows her to do that, because even if the solution she's writing about isn't directly replicable, it may spark some new idea or innovation in another community.
Allee received her bachelor of arts degree in English and Spanish with a Secondary Education focus and her master of arts degree in English from the University of North Dakota (UND). Before working at the RHIhub, Allee wrote for the Dakota Student, UND's student newspaper, and for her hometown newspaper in rural North Dakota. In these positions, Allee's focus was community involvement, cultural events, and youth leaders. She has also taught at the high school and college levels and worked as a UND Writing Center consultant.
Shedding light on the issues faced in rural areas has shed light on her own childhood, growing up in a rural town. Much of what she now recognizes as challenges faced by rural communities were simply the way things were, like having to drive an hour and a half for specialty care. That awareness has made her efforts to fill those information gaps all the more rewarding because she's helping communities like her hometown.
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
Andrew Nelson has been the Digital Storyteller for the Rural Health Information Hub since 2021.
In this role, Andrew is responsible for the creation of digital content that highlights rural health programs and issues, shares insights from rural health experts, and features RHIhub's products and services. This includes various types of video content, and RHIhub's podcast Exploring Rural Health.
Andrew received a bachelor's degree in film studies with an emphasis in production from Minnesota State University in Moorhead. Before joining RHIhub, he worked for WDAY-TV in Fargo as a photojournalist, receiving a 2019 Upper Midwest Emmy for Weather Documentary with "Rebuilding Paradise" and a 2020 Upper Midwest Emmy for Evening Newscast with "Fargo Riot." Additionally, he shot and edited the 2021 National Edward R. Murrow Award-winning "Life on a COVID Floor," a four-part series showing life in Sanford Hospital's COVID-19 ward in Fargo from the perspective of a patient, a doctor, a nurse, and a respiratory therapist. Andrew also worked for Moorhead Community Access Media, a local public access TV channel, covering Moorhead City Council meetings, town halls, and other events.
Andrew grew up in Mayville, North Dakota, a small town with both a Critical Access Hospital and a Rural Health Clinic. After exploring the Midwest, he realized that not everyone has the same access to comprehensive healthcare that he did and that it's important to maximize healthcare availability to rural residents across the country.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Technical and Administrative Staff
- Web Developer
Brendan Stermer has been a Web Writer with the Rural Health Information Hub since March 2023.
Brendan writes for RHIhub's online magazine, the Rural Monitor, as well as Models and Innovations. With a passion for rural stories and a background in small-town journalism, Brendan brings a unique set of skills to the writing team. Brendan received his bachelor of arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota Morris in 2016. In high school, Brendan was a student reporter at the Montevideo American-News and later wrote for the University Register at the University of Minnesota Morris. He also held internship positions at Pioneer Public Television in Appleton, Minnesota, and On Being Studios in Minneapolis. Prior to joining RHIhub, Brendan worked at KDMA News in Montevideo and later for the Grand Forks Housing Authority on a Housing First/harm reduction project. Brendan has also hosted and produced his own podcast, Interesting People Reading Poetry, since 2017.
Having grown up and lived much of his life in small-town Minnesota, Brendan cares deeply about the health and vitality of rural people and rural communities. He is excited to use compelling storytelling to amplify the voices of rural leaders working to improve the health and lives of rural people.
Job Titles:
- President & CEO, Grantmakers in Health
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Louisiana Rural Ambulance Alliance
Dorothea Nelson has been an Information Specialist for the Rural Health Information Hub since 2015.
Dorothea writes and maintains topic and state guides, adds new resources to the RHIhub website, and fields requests from people seeking information on rural healthcare-related issues through our Resource and Referral Service. This position allows Dorothea to combine her personal experience, having lived in rural areas for over 35 years, and her expertise as a reference librarian. Dorothea's focuses are on the healthcare workforce, specifically education and training, recruitment and retention, and J-1 Visa Waivers; and emergency medical services and community paramedicine. She also acts as the liaison to states in the northeastern and southeastern United States.
Dorothea's understanding of rural issues is personal; not only has she lived in rural communities for most of her life, she also raised a family in rural communities. Concerns related to attracting providers or services closing were far from academic, and that experience informs the work she does on behalf of rural health organizations, communities, and residents.
Dorothea received her bachelor of fine arts in piano performance from Jacksonville University, her master of library science from Emory University, her master of arts in history from the University of North Dakota, and has only her dissertation remaining for a Ph.D. in music education from the University of North Dakota. Prior to joining the RHIhub staff, Dorothea was head of technical services for the Oregon Institute of Technology Learning Resources Center and taught library science and piano at Mayville State University.
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Information Specialist
Erin Kunz joined the Rural Health Information Hub in January 2022 as an Information Specialist.
In this role, Erin identifies and indexes resources to the RHIhub website, creating easy access for people seeking information on rural health-related issues. She provides assistance through our Resource and Referral Service, as well as writing and maintaining topic and state guides. Erin's focuses are social determinants of health, chronic disease, and healthcare access. She also acts as the liaison to states in the central United States. This position allows Erin to use her background in English and her skill set in reading, writing, and researching.
Being from Mandan, North Dakota, as well as having extended family living in the western part of the state, Erin was drawn to RHIhub for its work on rural health awareness. She wanted to combine her passions of research and writing to directly impact rural residents.
In 2010, Erin received her bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of North Dakota. She received her master of arts in 2012 and earned a doctor of philosophy degree in educational foundations and research in 2016.
Prior to her position at RHIhub, Erin was an associate English professor at Mayville State University. While at Mayville, she also worked as director of the writing center and held the position of Chair of Liberal Arts. She focused on teaching and tutoring writing: specifically, composition and business writing. She has been published in St. Cloud State University's Survive & Thrive: A Journal for Medical Humanities and Narrative as Medicine and is currently the director of a nonprofit community writing project called Voices of the Valley.
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Web Writer
Gretel Kauffman has been a Web Writer for the Rural Health Information Hub since 2022.
Gretel writes for RHIhub's Rural Monitor as well as Models & Innovations. These stories and models address rural-specific issues and connect our users to the appropriate resources and information.
Gretel received her bachelor of arts degree in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame in 2016. Before joining RHIhub, Gretel covered state and local government for the Magic Valley Times-News and the Idaho Mountain Express in south-central Idaho, was a breaking news reporter for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, and reported on national issues for The Christian Science Monitor in Boston.
Growing up in a small town in upstate New York and now living in rural Idaho, Gretel recognizes the challenges in healthcare access and outcomes in these rural communities. Her interest in rural issues and places increased while working as a reporter in Idaho's Magic Valley, a region that gave her a new and eye-opening definition of rural. With a passion for writing and a heightened awareness of rural populations, Gretel is eager to be telling rural stories at RHIhub.
Job Titles:
- Funding Resources Specialist
- Resources Specialist
Jana Reese has been the Funding Resources Specialist for the Rural Health Information Hub since 2016.
In this role, Jana is responsible for identifying and selecting funding opportunities for inclusion on the RHIhub website as well as writing, indexing, and updating funding records. She also creates, updates, and maintains funding-related topic guides and coordinates outreach activities relating to the RHIhub's funding services. Her topic guides include Applying for Grants to Support Rural Health Projects; Capital Funding for Rural Healthcare; and Scholarships, Loans, and Loan Repayment for Rural Health Professions.
Prior to joining the RHIhub, she served as the Director of Resource Development and Community Programs for Southwest Georgia United Empowerment Zone, Inc. In this position, she was responsible for organizational fundraising and the management of multiple rural community programs. She also directed a team that provided training, technical assistance, and coaching for nonprofit organizations and small businesses through two federal Compassion Capital Fund grant projects and through the USDA Empowerment Zone program. Additionally, Jana has an extensive background in education, which includes experience working for the National Wildlife Federation and as a middle school teacher.
Jana earned her bachelor of science degree in middle grades education at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia. She finds great joy in using her skills to help increase access and reduce health disparities in diverse rural communities across the country.
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Data Visualization Specialist
Jeff Koss joined the Rural Health Information Hub in June 2023 as a Data Visualization Specialist.
In this position, Jeff conceptualizes, designs, and develops maps, graphics, and interactive features to communicate and tell stories about rural issues and disparities. This position combines Jeff's passion for population health and skill set in geography to share high-quality and accurate information with the public.
Jeff double-majored in geography and public health at the University of Washington, where he received his bachelor's degree in 2015. He also received his master's degree in geography from the University of Iowa in 2018. Before RHIhub, Jeff worked as a Geographic Information Specialist in the Center for Health Statistics at the Texas Department of State Health Services. In this role, he helped maintain one of the agency's public COVID-19 dashboards that contained maps, graphs, and indicators with information on COVID-19 cases, testing, and hospitalizations throughout the state. Jeff also served in the State Medical Operations Center emergency response to COVID-19, where he updated and maintained medical surge deployment maps, alternative care site maps, and interactive dashboards with information on statewide resources.
Jeff believes that population health issues are best addressed when their scope is fully understood and is excited to contribute to understanding the unique challenges that rural Americans face.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Web Project Manager
Joely Lee joined the Rural Health Information Hub in 2008, and has been the Web Project Manager since 2023.
In this role, Joely is responsible for overseeing the web projects of the RHIhub from their initial development through their implementation. Once they are implemented, Joely is diligent about maintaining and improving the quality and usability of the RHIhub website. She describes herself as the person who helps the puzzle pieces fit together, and her ten years as a Project Coordinator before coming to the RHIhub attest to that ability. Her particular skills in project management as well as her tenacious focus on quality assurance make the RHIhub website functional and user-friendly.
Joely's interest in the RHIhub came from her desire to contribute to the powerful and necessary work done to address the needs of people in rural areas around the country. Growing up on a working ranch in rural South Dakota, Joely understood very personally, and from a young age, the issues related to access that many rural communities face. Seeing family members return from military service to face not only the issues of access related to distance but also related to the availability of existing medical providers made these concerns all the more poignant.
Joely received her associate of arts degree from the North Dakota State College of Science. In her time here, Joely has also served as the Outreach Specialist, both for the RHIhub and for the Health Workforce Information Center, a past project of our parent organization, the North Dakota Center for Rural Health.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Associate, Maine Rural Health Research Center
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, American Hospital Association Section for Small or Rural Hospitals
Job Titles:
- Member of the Technical and Administrative Staff
- Web Designer
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President for Research, Science and Health of the Public, American Academy of Family Physicians
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Policy Specialist
Karen Davis joined the Rural Health Information Hub in 2019 and has been the Rural Health Policy Specialist since 2021.
In this role, Karen writes and maintains topic guides, adds new resources to the RHIhub website, and provides customized assistance through our Resource and Referral Service. She also maintains the Testing New Approaches section of the RHIhub website and identifies relevant Federal Register notices for inclusion on the site. This position allows Karen to utilize her extensive background in health policy and previous work experience advocating for underserved populations. Karen's focuses are on rural health policy, healthcare facilities, healthcare quality, and issues around aging and independent living in rural communities.
Before relocating to North Dakota, Karen served as the manager of policy analysis at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), where she led the development and dissemination of a variety of informational resources for NHPCO and its advocacy affiliate, the Hospice Action Network. Additionally, she coordinated the logistics for congressional briefings and led the planning of advocacy events for the hospice community. Prior to RHIhub, Karen also worked with the University of North Dakota TRIO Programs, a set of federally funded programs that help students from disadvantaged backgrounds graduate with a college degree.
Karen received her bachelor degree in political science from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, her master degree in security policy studies from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and her master of public health from the University of North Dakota.
Job Titles:
- Director, Mid - Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Web Writer
Kay Miller Temple has been a Web Writer for the Rural Health Information Hub since 2017.
Kay combines her expertise as a physician, her formal training as a journalist, and a rural perspective that comes from having grown up in rural America and continuing to return to her hometown. Kay writes original content for RHIhub's online magazine, the Rural Monitor. These stories - addressing rural-specific issues associated with complicated health conditions ranging from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to substance misuse to unintentional injuries and advance care planning - provide readers with in-depth information in a shareable web-based format. Kay also writes Models and Innovations.
During her nearly 30 years of practicing clinical medicine, Kay worked in a variety of rural and urban locations across the country doing locum tenens work, caring for patients in private practice settings, and also spending three months on the Greenland ice sheet summit working as the camp medic for a National Science Foundation project. During the last 15 years of her clinical career, she worked as a hospitalist at the Mayo Clinic's Arizona Campus. There, she led a variety of innovative projects, was a member of many administrative committees, and was chair of the organization's utilization management committee. In the latter position, Kay became aware of what she refers to as "the other half of medicine" - the policy-based rules and regulations of healthcare delivery.
Those administrative experiences made Kay realize a career change would allow her to more effectively write and speak about needed healthcare changes. She returned to the classroom and in 2013 received a master's degree in journalism and mass communication from the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
In addition to her RHIhub content writing duties, Kay is a writing mentor to North Dakota medical students' Targeted Rural Health Education project, an invited speaker on rural health topics, a panelist for numerous rural health webinars, and a co-author of several rural-centric academic journal articles. She was a 2019 National Rural Health Association Rural Health Fellow and currently is on the board of directors for AgriSafe Network, a non-profit organization focused on health and safety of farmers and ranchers.
Kay received her bachelor of arts degree from Augustana University and her MD from the University of South Dakota. In order to provide comprehensive primary care to patients, she completed a combined residency in pediatrics and internal medicine and held board certification in both specialties. Later in her career, she also became board-certified in hospice and palliative care.
She ascribes her passion for rural health to growing up in rural South Dakota on the family farm that was homesteaded by her great-great grandparents. Kay says it was a nurse in her rural community and her own rural family doctor that inspired her to pursue a career as a physician.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Management Team
- Program Director
Kristine Sande has been involved in rural health issues at the national level for over 18 years. She has been with the Rural Health Information Hub since its inception in 2002, and has served as the Program Director since 2005.
As director, Kristine works with the program's partners and funder, making certain that the RHIhub addresses the needs of its users. She assures quality control, facilitates communication with relevant stakeholders, and manages the overall strategy of the RHIhub. Kristine describes her job as keeping all the various pieces moving and - in her own words - as "email."
Interestingly, in many ways it seems like Kristine's entire life has led her to this role. She was drawn to rural health because of some of her earliest life experiences. She grew up on a family farm in North Dakota with her parents both serving in the North Dakota legislature at different times, instilling in her the value of investment in community and the direct impact that policy could have on people's lives. When working as a nursing assistant in her rural community, she saw firsthand the difference it makes for a family to have an ailing loved one receive care in their own community - from people who know them and are personally invested in their welfare.
In college, Kristine studied economics and business, acquiring skills that would one day be necessary for managing the business side of the RHIhub. At the same time, she worked in a library, gaining an understanding of the research and resource-finding that the RHIhub specializes in. After college, she worked for a rural electric cooperative, where she saw how a community coming together could solve a uniquely rural problem. She also gained firsthand understanding of the types of big-picture challenges that rural communities often face as well as insight into the way they can be addressed at a community level.
Since 2002, Kristine has worked for the North Dakota Center for Rural Health where she serves as the Associate Director for Information Dissemination. In this role, Kristine is the program director for TruServe, an activity tracking service, as well as for the RHIhub.
Kristine received a bachelor of business administration in economics, with a minor in mathematics, and a master of business administration from the University of North Dakota. She received the Meritorious Service Award from the University of North Dakota in 2010. She is a member of the Rural Quality Advisory Council and the National Rural Health Association's Board of Trustees and Rural Health Congress, and participates in the Public-Private Collaborations in Rural Health initiative.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Content Development Staff Member
- Information Specialist
Luke Hauge has been an Information Specialist Associate with Rural Health Information Hub since September 2023.
In this role, Luke writes and maintains topic and state guides, adds new resources to the RHIhub website, and provides customized assistance through our Resource and Referral Service. Luke's focuses include chronic disease, rural health disparities, cancer prevention and treatment, and community vitality. They also act as liaison to states in the southeastern United States.
Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Luke became interested in the influence of geography on healthcare and education access while working and studying in towns and cities throughout Minnesota and South Korea. Before joining RHIhub, Luke taught English as a second language on the southeast coast of the Korean peninsula and worked as a call center associate for Sanford Health, where they helped with food ordering and verified patient nutrition and safety information for hospitals in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Luke received their bachelor of arts in history from the University of Minnesota and has completed certificate programs in publishing and teaching English as a second language.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Technical and Administrative Staff
- Project Specialist
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Content Development Coordinator
Makenzie Atherton joined the Rural Health Information Hub in 2017 and has been the Content Development Coordinator since 2019.
Makenzie is responsible for the development of original content and provides oversight to content added by others. She assists with quality assurance and usability activities, coordinates program activities, and contributes to project evaluation. Formerly an Information Specialist, Makenzie also has experience maintaining state and topic guides, adding resources to the site, and providing customized assistance through our Resource and Referral Service.
Makenzie received her bachelor of science degree in education and human sciences with a focus on nutrition from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln in 2011. She received her master of public health degree with a focus on biostatistics in 2014 from the University of North Dakota.
While pursuing her master's degree, Makenzie was a graduate assistant with another program in the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, the Evaluation of Cardiac System of Care, a rural healthcare delivery grant. Upon graduation, she transitioned to a full-time position. In this role, Makenzie evaluated a grant that provided a mechanical CPR device to every ambulance and hospital outside of metro areas in seven states. She also worked with the states to develop training tools and resources for rural EMS agencies and hospitals. Traveling through seven mostly-rural states provided a great appreciation for rural areas and for the unique and diverse experiences she had there, discovering what made each rural town special.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Information Resources Manager
Maren Niemeier joined the Rural Health Information Hub in 2003, and has been the Information Resources Manager since 2008.
In this role, Maren is responsible for the information architecture of the RHIhub and oversees the creation of much of our original content. Maren was drawn to the RHIhub by her belief in the importance of increasing healthcare equity. With family connections to rural North Dakota, Maren saw first hand the difficulty people in rural areas had in meeting their healthcare needs.
Like Maren herself, Maren's mother was a medical librarian, so much of Maren's childhood was spent satisfying curiosity by learning how to seek out necessary information. She feels there is something especially satisfying in helping people find the information they need. In many ways, Maren's childhood of paging through encyclopedias is very similar to the work she does at the RHIhub. Maren finds and organizes information so that it is widely accessible to those who need it, but she also finds the gaps in that information and finds ways to fill it effectively. Her oversight of the writers for the Rural Monitor, our Topic Guides, and our Rural Health Models and Innovations allows her to do just that - identify where information is missing or inaccessible and fill that need.
Maren received a bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from Cornell University and her master of library and information science degree from the University of Texas at Austin. While at the RHIhub, Maren previously worked as the Lead Information Specialist and was the Information Resources Manager for the Health Workforce Information Center, a past project of our parent organization, the North Dakota Center for Rural Health. She has also worked as an Associate Fellow at the National Library of Medicine, a Digital Service Librarian at the Chester Fritz Library, and as the Network Coordinator for the Midcontinental Region of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Information Specialist
Job Titles:
- Member of the Management Team
- Senior Project Coordinator
- Information Access Services Manager
Naomi Lelm joined the Rural Health Information Hub in 2003 and has been the Information Access Services Manager since 2022.
Naomi is responsible for maintaining the high quality of the website's content and making certain the RHIhub operates economically so that it can provide the best possible service to its users. She also supervises many of the RHIhub content staff, providing the support they need to do their jobs well. In her time here, Naomi has taken on aspects of many of the roles played by RHIhub staff, which uniquely qualifies her to understand the various moving pieces. Her previous work experience with a non-profit taught her the importance of a team approach - of working outside of your job description and jumping in where you are needed. Her ability to be flexible and willingness to adapt to the needs of a given project have defined Naomi's role here, which evolved as the RHIhub itself did.
Naomi grew up in a small town in North Dakota whose local hospital closed a few years after she was born. The nearest hospital was a half-hour away, and there was only a volunteer ambulance service, no 911. This meant that any otherwise commonplace childhood accidents could have been disastrous. This early awareness of that distance and the importance of access was significant in shaping Naomi's worldview and continues today in concern for family members with chronic disease or who need specialty care and continue to face long distances. She was drawn to working in rural health in large part because of these experiences.
Naomi received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, National Association of Rural Health Clinics
Job Titles:
- Graphic Designer
- Member of the Technical and Administrative Staff
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President for Western Operations, National Association of Community Health Centers
Job Titles:
- Content Development Staff Member
- Information Specialist
Sarah Dauterive has been an Information Specialist with Rural Health Information Hub since March 2023.
In this role, Sarah finds and adds resources to the RHIhub website, writes and maintains topic and state guides, as well as handles reference requests through our Resource & Referral Service. Sarah focuses on topics such as agricultural health and safety, border and frontier health, community vitality, aging in place, pharmacies, and violence and abuse. She also acts as liaison to the states in southwestern United States.
After receiving a bachelor of arts degree in History from Mississippi State University in 2010 and a master's degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Alabama in 2011, Sarah spent nearly a decade as an academic librarian at various colleges including East Mississippi Community College, Nicholls State University, Fletcher Technical Community College, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Prior to joining RHIhub, Sarah was the Web Technologies Librarian at the AgriSafe Network, where she developed and maintained its Health Hub, a digital library aimed at connecting agricultural workers and their families to health and safety resources. She also launched AgriSafe Network's podcast, Talking Total Farmer Health.
Having roots in the rural southeastern United States, Sarah is motivated to serve rural populations by helping them access and utilize health information.
Job Titles:
- Information and Funding Specialist
Silas Pera has been an Information and Funding Specialist for the Rural Health Information Hub since 2020.
In this role, Silas works with our Funding Resources Specialist in selecting funding opportunities for inclusion on the RHIhub website as well as writing, indexing, and updating funding records. He is also responsible for adding and updating items on the RHIhub events calendar.
Before joining the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, Silas taught intensive English as a Second Language courses to students from other countries preparing to enter university studies in the U.S. Prior to that, he worked as a care worker/case manager for an outpatient mental health facility that served rural areas in central Kansas. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Silas earned his bachelor degree in English from Midland University and his master degree in English from University of North Dakota.
Having grown up in a number of different rural and urban places in the Midwest, he understands the disparities and challenges that exist in rural areas, and he appreciates that he gets to play a part in translating knowledge and information into action that can have a real impact for people living in rural communities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Technical and Administrative Staff
- Project Assistant
Job Titles:
- CEO, National Organization of State Offices
Job Titles:
- CEO, Health Care Collaborative of Rural Missouri