Lessons from Life in Rural America Symposium with Katrina Badger

Michelle chats with Katrina Badger, program officer with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, about the work of the foundation to build a culture of health and her particular focus on creating the community conditions that foster improved health. Badger discusses a poll that was released at the recent Life in Rural America symposium, which was a collaboration among the Foundation, NPR, and Harvard, that focused on rural issues. Just organizing the event was a learning experience, Badger notes. One of the takeaways of the symposium, she says, was that Rural America is not a monolithic space but a diverse one. Many rural communities have won the Culture of Health prize, Badger points out. Another key point: Economic opportunity is critical for success for rural residents and communities. Yet another insight: Innovation knows no area code. Badger notes that a key question that must be asked is how can we build power for rural communities to implement what are known to be successful policies. And a final takeaway: Equity conversation, whether racial or economic or some other kind of equity, is equally critical in the rural context. This episode was sponsored by For the Win Robotics, www.ftw-robotics.com; REC Foundation, www.roboticseducation.org;  and the Rural Assembly, https://ruralassembly.org

For more on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation symposium, visit www.rwjf.org/ruralhealth