The New England Rural Health Association was established in 1997 with funding from the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). The Association serves as the rural health association for the six New England states. We are a non-profit, membership-driven organization that serves as a regional rural health advocate. Headquartered in Maine, the Association is governed by a Board of Directors and administered by an Executive Director.
Our organization includes hundreds of members from across the region who are also committed to improving the health and well-being of our rural communities.
Together, our board members and executive director work hard on behalf of our members to advance the work of the New England Rural Health Association and improve the health of rural New Englanders.
If you need assistance, feel free to contact us with questions, suggestions, and concerns. We appreciate your input, and are always looking for new ways to help rural communities and organizations throughout New England.
Our Bylaws can be read here.
Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of communities throughout rural New England.
Our Objectives are to:
Serve as a unified voice for the promotion of rural health needs and issues in New England.
Identify rural health needs and issues in New England.
Share timely information about key state and federal rural health policies and programs.
Educate and advocate for rural health.
Encourage networking and collaboration in support of rural health.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Michael Pancook - Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of MaineCare - ME - President
Jeffrey Waldron - MS, PA-C, Faculty, Franklin Pierce Masters PA Program - NH - President-Elect
Luca Fernandez - State Office of Rural Health, Program Administrator - VT - Secretary
Kirby Lecy - Manager of Healthy Community Initiatives, MA DPH - MA - Treasurer
Sharon O'Connor, MBA, MS, Senior Research Scientist - CPDE | Dartmouth - NH - Member At Large
Ex-Officio
Lori Fedewa - CT State Office of Rural Health - CT
Nicole Breton - ME State Office of Rural Health - ME
Manuel Ortiz - MPA, CAGS, Chief, RI State Office of Primary Care and Rural Health - RI
John Olson - VT State Office of Rural Health - VT
Shawn Jackson - NH State Office of Rural Health - NH
Darlene Laro - NH State Office of Rural Health - NH
Board Members
Ann Turner - MS, RN, CCM, Clinical Director, Integrated Healthcare - NH
Roberta diFlorio Alexander, MD, MS, Staff Radiologist/Associate Professor - Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center/Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth - VT
Luellyn Valtin, System Director of Quality - North Country Healthcare - NH
Kim Savery, Director of Community Programs, Hilltown Community Health Centers - MA
T.J. Clarke II, Executive Director - Connecticut Oral Health Initiative, Inc. - CT
Justin Hamrick, Primary Care Office Director / Associate Research Analyst - Connecticut Department of Public Health - CT
Micaela Maynard, AHEC Scholars Program Manager - University of New England - ME
Alison Warfel, Chief Operating Officer - Block Island Health Services - RI
Gail Patry, SVP of Quality Programming - Healthcentric Advisors - RI
Kelly Danckert, Program Manager - Health Resources in Action - VT
Lucy Hackney, Chief Operating Officer - Island Health Care Community Health Center - MA
John Gale, NRHA President - Life Time