Each year, the West Virginia Rural Health Conference proudly recognizes the outstanding individuals, organizations, and future leaders who are making a meaningful impact on rural health across our state. These awards honor dedication, innovation, and the tireless efforts of those committed to improving the health and well-being of rural communities.
We invite YOU to help us celebrate these changemakers by submitting your nominations!
Let’s come together to celebrate the trailblazers, caregivers, and future leaders making a real difference in rural health across West Virginia!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PAST AWARD WINNERS!
Help us honor these incredible contributors by submitting your nominations today! It’s easy:
Bonus: All individual award winners will receive complimentary registration to the WV Rural Health Conference!
Please Note: To maximize the number of honorees, past award winners from the last five years are ineligible for nomination.
WVRHA Award for Excellence in Rural Health (Individual)
This award honors an individual for their exceptionally meritorious contributions to improving the health of rural West Virginians. It recognizes creative and effective work—whether through knowledge-sharing, leadership, or innovative solutions—that has significantly bettered community health.
WVRHA Award for Excellence in Rural Health (Organization)
This award celebrates an organization or program that has made a profound impact on rural health in West Virginia. It honors innovative approaches and meaningful contributions that have improved the lives of people in rural communities.
WVRHA Outstanding Rural Health Provider Award
This award recognizes a direct service provider who has shown exemplary leadership and dedication in improving healthcare services in rural West Virginia.
Eligible nominees include:
WVRHA Outstanding Rural Health Student Award
This award honors a student who has gone above and beyond in the field of rural health. The nominee should have demonstrated a passion for improving rural health through clinical work, research, community outreach, infrastructure development, or volunteer efforts.
Eligibility: Must be enrolled in a college or university in West Virginia.
WVRHA Outstanding Resident Award
This award recognizes a medical resident who has shown exceptional commitment and contribution to rural health in West Virginia. The nominee’s work could include clinical excellence, research, community initiatives, or volunteerism.
Eligibility: Must be affiliated with a graduate medical education program based in West Virginia.
Dr. Bob Foster Award for Excellence in Health Professions Education
Named in honor of Dr. Bob Foster, who dedicated over four decades to educating future healthcare professionals at the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine, this award recognizes faculty who are shaping the next generation of rural health leaders. The award honors those who have made significant contributions to education, mentorship, and student success across health disciplines, including but not limited to:
Eligibility: Nominees must be actively engaged in health professions education in West Virginia.
This award is given to an individual in recognition of exceptionally meritorious contributions to the improvement of health to the people in rural West Virginia. It honors creative work of particular effectiveness in applying knowledge or innovative organizational work to the betterment of community health.
Individuals nominated for the award will have made significant and well recognized contributions to the improvement of rural health in West Virginia.
This award is given to an organization or program in recognition of exceptionally meritorious contributions to the improvement of health for people in rural West Virginia. It honors creative or innovative work in applying knowledge or practice for the betterment of community health.
Organizations nominated for the award will have made significant and well recognized contributions to the improvement of rural health in West Virginia.
This award recognizes a direct service provider who has exhibited outstanding leadership in the improvement of health care services to the rural areas of West Virginia.
The nominees can include any healthcare provider from any discipline including, but not limited to, physicians, physician associates, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, social workers, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, psychologists.
This award recognizes extraordinary student initiated and performed activity demonstrated within the field of rural health. The nominee will have significant accomplishments in rural health. Efforts may include clinical, infrastructure development, research, promotional or volunteer activities. Students must be enrolled in a college or university in West Virginia.
This award recognizes extraordinary resident initiated and performed activity demonstrated within the field of rural health. The nominee will have significant accomplishments in rural health. Efforts may include clinical, infrastructure development, research, promotional, or volunteer activities. Residents must be affiliated with a graduate medical education program based in West Virginia.
This award honors the legacy of Dr. Bob Foster who has worked to educate and train thousands of medical students and residents throughout his more than four-decade career at WV School of Osteopathic Medicine.
This award recognizes faculty who exhibit extraordinary commitment to training the next generation of the rural health workforce in WV. The nominee will have made significant contributions to education, mentorship, and student success. Nominees for this award must be actively engaged in the education of students in health professions and be affiliated with a college or university within West Virginia. This award is open to all disciplines within healthcare including, but not limited to, public health, medicine, nursing, social work, nutrition/dietetics, psychology, dentistry/oral health, pharmacy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
This award is given in recognition of exceptionally meritorious contributions to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare in WV. This award honors individuals or organizations that endeavor to promote equitable access to healthcare resources by individuals from minority backgrounds. We seek to celebrate those working to create a more just healthcare system for individuals from minority backgrounds living in WV.
