The Center for Rural Health Leadership is a collaboration between the National Rural Health Association and the Dynamic Leadership Academy.
The Rural Hospital Certification Program
The Rural Hospital Certification Program is the culmination of efforts from several of top performing rural hospital executives, who have a passion for their craft and communities. The creators of this program have been actively involved with the informal training and development of rural health leadership for years.Â
Having held key leadership positions in the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), these rural healthcare pioneers have worked tirelessly to help design a program that effectively prepares each participant for success in a rural context.
Executive Leadership to rural hospitals has been an ongoing struggle for many years. As the intricate knowledge base needed to be a top performer in a rural hospital continues to expand, The Center for Rural Health Leadership has developed a program designed to address three major obstacles:
- Leaders from rural areas familiar with life in a rural setting have struggled to gain the necessary leadership training to be a top performing rural hospital executive.
- The uniqueness and complexity of the necessary knowledge base in the successful operation of a rural hospital continues to grow at a rapid rate.
- The difficulty in acclimating to working with a rural Board
Recruiting qualified of Trustees while living in a rural community.
In 2018, NRHA worked with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Yaffe & Co. to perform the Rural Hospital CEO turnover study and used the results as a guide to continue to develop a Rural Hospital Certification program addressing what had become a crisis.
Take the first step to making a difference for your hospital and community by applying today!Â
VIEW OUR CERTIFICATION PROGRAMSNRHA Rural Hospital Certification Program Leadership
Bill Auxier, Ph.D
Bill is President & CEO of Center for Rural Health Leadership which runs the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Hospital Certification Programs. Bill specializes in rural health leadership development through consulting, coaching, training and research. He is experienced working with rural health leaders across the country to improve their organizations through more effective leadership, cultural transformation and strategic plan development. Bill is the author of several books and a Fellow of the Institute of Coaching.
Sydney Grant, MHA
Sydney Grant, M.H.A., is Chief Learning Officer at Center for Rural Health Leadership. Sydney started her journey in rural healthcare as an intern for the Rural Health Leadership Radio podcast while a graduate student at the University of South Florida. It was during that internship that she found her passion for rural healthcare, leadership development and creative problem solving.Â
Sydney co-authored the book, What Rural Health Leaders are Saying:Â Volume II, which is based on the Rural Health Leadership Radio podcast.
Billy Auxier
Billy Auxier serves as Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Center for Rural Health Leadership, where he works with rural healthcare organizations and partners to strengthen leadership, identify emerging trends and challenges, and explore new ways to support rural leadership teams. Prior to joining CRHL, Billy spent seven years in the cybersecurity industry, where he worked with a number of rural hospitals to implement cybersecurity training and best practices. His experience has given him a unique perspective on the challenges facing rural healthcare organizations and the leaders who serve them.
Jenna Hartman, MPH
Jenna Hartman is the Assistant Program Director for the Center for Rural Health Leadership, where she supports the development and implementation of leadership programs for rural healthcare professionals. Jenna earned her Master of Public Health in Health Services Policy and Management and her B.A. in Public Health from the University of South Carolina. Her background in public health evaluation and program management includes analyzing program outcomes, using data to identify opportunities for improvement, and supporting initiatives that strengthen the experience and impact of healthcare professionals.
