Where you live shouldn’t impact your options and opportunity to live a happy, healthy life. 

NCRHA advocates for health access and equity for every North Carolinian, regardless of who they are or where they live.

Support NCRHA’s Work

Make a donation today and help NCRHA build a more equitable, accessible North Carolina for everyone!

The North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA) is the official state affiliate of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), led by the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI). Our extensive membership network includes organizations and individuals committed to advancing health equity and access to care by amplifying the voices of our vibrant rural communities. 

NCRHA serves as a single organizer to connect, foster, share, advocate, and offer a unified voice that promotes better rural health outcomes for the people who call rural North Carolina home. 

Building a healthy North Carolina can only happen when we amplify the voice of uniquely rural communities. We exist to listen, learn, and lead a movement that keeps rural health at the forefront of every conversation about our state’s health. 

FHLI was founded in 1982 by James D. Bernstein, who demonstrated a lifelong dedication to improving the health and wellness of North Carolina’s rural communities. Building on his legacy, the organization houses NCRHA, which hosts a collaborative network of associations, organizations, and individuals invested in supporting rural health.

Neither your race nor zip code should drive your health. Join NCRHA to advocate for whole-person, whole-community rural health! 

NCRHA brings together a diverse network of partners, including students, community- and faith-based organizations, statewide associations, educational institutions, government representatives, and corporations dedicated to advancing rural health through advocacy, collaboration, and education.  

As an association member, you will connect and network with fellow statewide advocates to amplify your work, keep rural health at the center of the conversation, and advocate for systems-level change.

2024-2025 NCRHA Membership

Vernell Gore

Ruby Lewis-Dodd

Amanda Stroud

Andrea Brailsford

Member Benefits

NCRHA has engaged in a thorough re-evaluation of membership benefits in 2023 and 2024. Membership benefits will continue to grow and evolve. Current benefits include: 

• Professional Development: Peer mentor-mentee opportunities, private LinkedIn group, NRHA webinars, resources, and annual conferences, opportunities to advocate on Capitol Hill through the annual NRHA Policy Institute, and more 
• Networking: Member-only virtual and in-person opportunities to connect with other health care professionals and advocates 
• Voting: Vote on operational documents, Road to 2025 Policy Priorities, and other organizational decisions
• Engagement: Quarterly membership meetings*, work group participation, recognition on NCRHA website, and exclusive NRHA state affiliate news 
• Event Discounts

* NCRHA quarterly meetings are open to any party interested in participating. Paid membership includes additional benefits, including voting power and access to additional perks and resources. 

All prices are for annual memberships.

Community-Based Organizations

Students and Retirees

Membership Policy 

• Core NCRHA membership includes nonprofits and government organizations addressing rural health issues in North Carolina. 
• Each member organization designates one representative as a voting NCRHA member. They can also designate alternate representatives to vote in the primary voting member’s absence. 
• In addition to designating its voting and alternate voting members, a member organization may list an unlimited number of other organizational representatives to receive NCRHA announcements and participate in NCRHA work groups. 
• All paid members may vote at membership meetings, serve on the steering committee, and participate in all work groups. 

Please note: all organizational and individual members get one vote on any NCRHA matter brought before the entire membership. To maintain balance among membership, if multiple individuals from the same organization register as individual members, they will be limited to one vote across their entire group.

Membership Registration Process 

• To become an NCRHA member, please register and pay your annual dues. 
• Membership is open to any organization, business, agency, nonprofit, or individual that supports the vision, mission, purpose, and principles of NCRHA. 
• Membership renews every year on June 31.
• Sponsorships may be available for eligible network members, and hardship provisions may be available for those unable to pay annual membership dues. Contact us if you need assistance with NCRHA membership.

NCRHA work groups foster network- and community-based collaboration to drive rural health solutions. All members have the opportunity to join any NCRHA work group.

Convenes individuals and organizations working in behavioral health, including substance use/addiction, focused on access, quality, affordability, co-occurrence, social stressors, and the COVID-19 Pandemic’s ongoing impact in rural communities.

Chair: Open

National Rural Health Day – Celebrate the Power of Rural!

Join us virtually via Microsoft Teams and in-person at Scotland Health Care System at 5501, 500 Lauchwood Dr, Laurinburg, NC 28352 on Thursday November 21, 2024 from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm.

Register here