Fulk Selected to National Rural Health Association's 2025 Rural Health Fellows Program
Janet Fulk, assistant director of Frontier And Rural Medicine (FARM) at the USD Sanford School of Medicine (SSOM), was recently selected to join the National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) 2025 Rural Health Fellows (RHF) Program.
For more than 45 years, the National Rural Health Association has served rural communities by advancing and publicizing rural health issues and seeking to solve rural health care challenges. The organization’s objective is to recognize emerging leaders committed to rural America, equip them with vital leadership training and executive skills and empower them to play leading roles in ensuring access to high-quality health care for residents of rural communities nationwide.
Fulk, who has been with the FARM program since 2018, was selected from applicants from across the country. Only 10 to 15 individuals with proven dedication to improving the health of rural Americans through their educational or professional experience are selected each year. Fulk will begin the yearlong, intensive training program in February 2025 in Washington, D.C., where she will be part of the NRHA’s 36th Annual Rural Health Policy Institute.
“Being chosen for the National Rural Health Association’s 2025 Rural Health Fellows program is a tremendous honor and opportunity,” said Fulk. “My passion and commitment to helping address the unique health care challenges faced by rural communities, along with the potential to make a meaningful impact on rural health policy, practice and education has been a life-long career goal of mine.”
The Fellows program aims to educate and develop a network of diverse rural leaders that will step forward to serve in key positions in the association, affiliated advocacy groups and local and state legislative bodies with health equity as a main focus.
“Being part of this program will connect me with like-minded individuals from across the country who share a commitment to rural health. It will allow me to learn from seasoned professionals, policymakers and practitioners, creating invaluable connections for future collaborative opportunities,” Fulk explained.
Fulk hopes her participation in the program also reinforces the SSOM’s focus on its commitment to training leaders in rural health.
“The training and experiences in this program can help the school continue to evolve its curriculum to meet the challenges faced by rural communities,” she stated. “Armed with first-hand experience regarding rural health initiatives, along with the networks and knowledge gained from this experience, I hope to help provide our FARM and other students interested in rural practice with mentorship opportunities that can help shape their careers and future clinical practice.”
