Azalea Celebrates National Rural Health Day
National Rural Health Day is the third Thursday in November. In 2025, that’s November 20. At Azalea, our mission is to help underserved (aka rural) healthcare providers improve patient care and their profitability. And so we honor and celebrate the National Rural Health Day this year and everyday all year, every year.
About National Rural Health Day
National Rural Health Day (NRHD) was started in 2011 by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH). The goal, “to bring attention to and honor the incredible efforts of rural healthcare providers, communities, organizations, State Offices of Rural Health, and other stakeholders dedicated to addressing the unique healthcare needs of rural America.”
Why National Rural Health Day Matters
National Rural Health Day draws attention to both the challenges of providing rural healthcare and the realities of it.
We think of rural areas as small. But they’re not. Nor are the challenges of rural healthcare.
- At least 14% of Americans live in rural areas. That’s roughly 1 out of every 7 people1
- There are 29% fewer physicians per 100,000 people in rural areas compared to urban areas2
- 13.6% of people in rural areas lived below the poverty level in 2023 compared to 10.7% in urban areas1
- The average travel time to get high-risk surgical care in rural areas was 69 minutes in 20203
- Between 2017 and 2023, 61 rural hospitals closed and only 11 opened — a net loss of 50 hospitals4
- Rural residents face higher rates of chronic diseases and have a shorter life expectancy compared to their urban counterparts5
Providers who choose to live in and care for those in rural communities are truly dedicated. They often have less access to needed tools and care for a less healthy pool of patients. And they typically serve as primary care physicians, emergency responders, and mental health counselors at the same time. They deserve a day — many days and years — of celebration.
How Azalea Health Is Celebrating National Rural Health Day
The 2026 Definitive Guide to Rural Healthcare
To honor and recognize National Rural Health Day 2025, Azalea is rolling out its annual Definitive Guide to Rural Healthcare. The 2026 guide has all new content, including:
- How rural hospitals and clinics can navigate the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
- How to access new lines of revenue by diversifying services
- The value of AI for rural healthcare
- How to navigate grants and funding in 2026
Rural hospitals and clinics can download the rural healthcare guide and/or request a complimentary printed copy anytime.
Rural Health Hero Submissions
To honor National Rural Health Day, Azalea is giving away three sponsored registrations to attend one of the National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC) Spring Institute in Atlanta March 16 to 18, 2026.
Recipients will be randomly selected from online submissions, which open November 17 and close November 21 at midnight CT. Winners will be announced November 24.
Visit Azalea’s Rural Health Week Hub for details, to submit a hero, to see who’s been recognized, and see the winners once announced.
Azalea Team Videos
To let every Azalean show their commitment to rural health, Azaleas will be creating videos that express what supporting rural health means to them. Check the Rural Health Week Hub and Azalea’s social media channels to see the results.
Hospital and Clinic Visits
Azalea will be on the road the week of November 17. We’ll visit rural clinics and hospitals throughout the country and share our appreciation in person.1
How the NOSORH Is Celebrating NRHD in 2025
Each year NOSORH hosts a variety of initiatives on National Rural Health Day. This year’s events include the following.
Connected and Protected: The Power of Rural Cyber Security Webinar
NOSORH will join experts from the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, Dakota State University, Google, and Madison Regional Health System to talk about cybersecurity realities, opportunities, and strategies in rural communities. Find information and register on the Power of Rural website.
Community Stars
As part of National Rural Health Day, NOSORH started its annual Community Stars Recognition Program in 2015. It spotlights the stories of people and organizations in almost every state that make a positive impact on rural healthcare.
On November 20, NOSORH will announce 2025 Community Stars recipients on its website. You can also see past stars on the power of rural health website.
Nominations are made annually through individual state offices of rural health. Each state may have different forms and deadlines, which typically align with NRHD.
How You Can Celebrate National Rural Health Day
Celebrating National Rural Health Day is easy. The Power of Rural website includes ideas for ways to celebrate whether you’re a stakeholder, hospital, clinic, individual, teacher, school, or small business.
The easiest way to share your support is to use some — or all — of the Marketing and Social Media ideas on the Power of Rural’s ways to celebrate page or its promotional toolkit. You can use the #PowerOfRural hashtag on your social media posts and follow and interact with other posts using the hashtag.
You can also find some quick printable resources on the Azalea Rural Health Week Hub, including kudos cards, a gratitude wall poster, and shout-out scripts.
Celebrate Rural Health Every Day
On this National Rural Health Day and every day, celebrate the impact and importance of rural health whether you live in a rural area or a big city. Because healthy rural communities and residents are a key part of a healthy nation.
About the Author
Sources
1 USDS, 2024 Edition, Rural America at a Glance, Tracey Farrigan, Brandon Genetin, Austin Sanders, John Pender, Kelsey L. Thomas, Richelle Winkler, and John Cromartie, Nov. 2024, https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/_laserfiche/publications/110351/EIB-282.pdf
2 NRHA, About NRHA, https://www.ruralhealth.us/about-us/about-rural-health-care
3 JAMA, Trends in Travel Time to Obtain Surgical Care for Rural Patients, Cody Lendon Mullens, MD, MPH, Reagan A. Collins, BA, Nicholas Kunnath, MS, et al, Feb. 2025, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2830214
4 KFF, Key Facts about Hospitals, Zachary Levinson, Scott Hulver, Jamie Godwin, and Tricia Neuman, Feb. 2026, https://www.kff.org/health-costs/key-facts-about-hospitals/?entry=the-hospital-industry-openings-and-closings
5 RHIhub, Rural Health Disparities, https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/rural-health-disparities
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