The CTSI Center for Equity in Research invites the Duke research community to an enlightening symposium to explore the unique challenges and opportunities in rural health.
Through compelling presentations and an expert panel discussion, attendees will gain insights into inclusive rural health research, maternal mental health disparities, and congenital heart disease outcomes. The workshop will offer a variety of continuing education credits.
“This event will highlight strategies for engaging rural communities, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and addressing barriers to care,” said Dwight D. Koeberl, MD, PhD, a Duke professor of pediatrics and molecular genetics and microbiology who directs CTSI Integrating Special Populations and will open the panel. “We will offer practical takeaways for researchers, clinicians, and community advocates for improving health equity in rural settings.”
The event, “Strengthening Rural Health: Research, Access to Care, and Community Collaboration,” is ideal for faculty, research staff, trainees, students, and community researchers who seek to develop more equitable research. It will be held from 12:30 to 2 p.m. May 8 in the Chesterfield Building, located at 701 W. Main St. in Durham.
Registration is required, and lunch will be provided. Organizers strongly encourage participants to attend in-person, and lunch will be provided. A virtual option will be offered for those with extenuating circumstances.
In addition to Koeberl, the panel will feature rural health experts Devon Noonan, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, with Duke University School of Nursing; Wylin D. Wilson, PhD, MS, MDiv, with Duke Divinity School; and Lindsay Edwards, MD, with Duke Department of Pediatrics. Allison Martin, MD, MPH, with Duke Department of Surgery and Population Health Sciences will serve as moderator.
Panelists will offer in-depth discussion about the importance of including rural communities in research, as well as strategies to overcome barriers to participation. Topics will include social drivers of mental health and the role of faith communities in addressing maternal mental health in rural communities.
Discussion will also include the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration — among health care practitioners, faith community leaders, birth workers, and academia, for example — in addressing maternal mental health. Panelists will address rural-urban disparities related to congenital heart disease detection, barriers to care, and health outcomes.
Participants who attend for more than 60 minutes are eligible to receive RCR-200 credit.