Editorial


 1

Editorial 
 

FROM THE DESK OF KAY ROSENTHAL, PHD, RN 
 

Kay Rosenthal 
 Executive Director 

Rural Nurse Organization 
 

 
According to the Institute of Medicine Report, Rural America is a vital 

component of American society. Representing nearly 20 percent of the population, rural 
communities, like urban landscapes, are rich in cultural diversity. However, the smaller, 
poorer, and more isolated a rural community is, the more difficult it is to ensure the 
availability of high-quality health services. The Institute of Medicine report, Quality 
Through Collaboration: The Future of Rural Health examines the quality of health care in 
rural America. 

In the report, the committee offers a five-pronged strategy to address the quality 
challenges in rural communities:  
 

1. Adopting an integrated approach to addressing both personal and population 
health needs; 

2. Establishing a stronger health care quality improvement support structure to 
assist rural health systems and professionals; 

3. Enhancing the human resource capacity of health care professionals in rural 
communities, and the preparedness of rural residents to actively engage in 
improving their health and health care; 

4. Assuring that rural health care systems are financially stable; and 
5. Investing in an information and communications technology (ICT) 

infrastructure, which has enormous potential to enhance health and health care 
over the coming decade; (http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=23359). 

             
Rural nursing is patient-centered, especially since we are caring for our neighbors 

and community members. We strive to be safe and efficient in the care we deliver. With 
technology we can ensure that we are giving effective and timely healthcare and that our 
treatments are equitable to all those we deliver care to.  

What are you or your facility doing to ensure quality care? This is the time to 
become active on the local level. The Rural Nurse Organization (RNO) encourages you 
to read the reports, give your input and become actively involved in the pursuit of quality. 

Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, vol. 6, no. 1, Spring 2006 
 

http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=23359