Gertrude O’ Sullivan Named 2020 Rural Health Community Star

Press release from Connecticut Office of Rural Health:

Nov. 23, 2020

The Connecticut Office of Rural Health (CT-ORH) is excited to announce that Gertrude O’Sullivan, Director of Communications and Special Programs at the Foundation for Community Health, has been chosen as Connecticut’s rural health Community Star. She will be recognized for her work on National Rural Health Day, November 19, 2020, by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH).

Gertrude O’Sullivan was nominated by colleagues in Northwest Connecticut because of her talent for identifying partners and creating collaborations that lead to successful and enduring initiatives to improve the health and well-being of the rural communities she serves. She has helped to steward numerous innovative programs through her work at the Foundation for Community Health, such as the development of the high-school based Scrubs Club to foster interest in health careers; creation of the Health Profession Rural Summer Immersion Program to provide medical students with an experience of living and working in rural communities; establishment of a free summer meals program; establishment of a transportation service and organizing a debriefing study to document best practices from the COVID-19 response.

National Rural Health Day is an annual day of recognition, shining a light on those who serve the vital health needs of the estimated 57 million people living in rural America. Each person, coalition, and organization nominated to be their state’s Community Star represents the faces and grassroots initiatives that are working to address the social determinants of health and improve the lives of those who call rural their home. The CT-ORH is proud to recognize the innovation, quality of care, and dedication of health professionals and volunteers in our communities during National Rural Health Day 2020.

A quote from her nomination states: “Gertrude generously and consistently works on behalf of our rural residents and supports the health of our rural communities in myriad ways. We are so grateful for the contributions that Gertrude O’Sullivan and the foundation have made to our community!” Foundation for Community Health, located in Sharon, CT is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of residents of the northern Litchfield Hills of Connecticut and the greater Harlem Valley in New York.

As Connecticut’s representative to this national program, Gertrude’s story will be included in an annual publication featuring all Community Star awardees released by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health on National Rural Health Day and available to read on its web portal: The Power of Rural.

“Gertrude and I have worked together on a variety of projects over the past nearly 25 years. Over these years, I cannot not count how many times colleagues have told me that a quality program or project was only accomplished because of Gertrude’s persistence, attention to detail, and instinctive ability to execute even the most complex projects,” stated Nancy Heaton, CEO, Foundation for Community Health (FCH). “Her primary passion at FCH has been to work with groups of rural community leaders to identify specific needs and design and/or tailor programs that will address those needs,” Heaton added.

“The CT-ORH congratulates Gertrude O’Sullivan on this well-deserved award, and on her commitment to improving health for rural residents in Connecticut,” stated Lori Fedewa, Director of the Connecticut Office of Rural Health (CT-ORH.) “Gertrude O’Sullivan’s commitment to working collaboratively on programs that benefit rural communities is a role model for the state and the country, and we are grateful for her leadership and perseverance,” Fedewa added.

The mission of the CT-ORH is to improve the health of those living in rural Connecticut through coordinating activities that promote rural heath on a regional or statewide basis, providing technical assistance to rural health stakeholders, enhancing recruitment and retention efforts for healthcare providers, and promoting state, local, regional and federal partnerships.

For more information, please contact Lori Fedewa, lfedewa@nwcc.edu or 860-387-9278.

This press release was produced by Connecticut Office of Rural Health. The views expressed here are the author's own.