May 22, 2023
Former U.S. Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama was recently awarded the Alabama Rural Health Association’s ‘Legislator of the Year’ award at the 2023 annual conference in Hoover.
“Senator Shelby and his staff were always receptive to our advocacy for issues around rural health and other issues that impact rural Alabama,” said Farrell Turner, president of the Alabama Rural Health Association (ARHA).
ARHA is the state’s leader in supporting and promoting rural healthcare. With a membership of more than 1,000 healthcare professionals statewide, the association is one of the largest in the nation and advocates for legislation and policy beneficial to rural providers and facilities. In addition, the association supplies education and training to healthcare providers in rural communities statewide.
Former Senator Shelby received this award due to his career of supporting rural health legislation. Such legislation included the Save Rural Hospitals Acts of 2020 and 2021, Fair Medicare Payments Model Act of 2017, and multiple bills supporting telehealth, broadband, and other elements supporting rural health.
“Former Senator Shelby is an exemplary leader in policy and public service,” said David L. Albright, PhD, president-elect of the ARHA. “We are grateful to him for a career supporting legislation building and sustaining communities across rural Alabama.”
For more information about the Alabama Rural Health Association and its awards recipients, visit http://www.arhaonline.org.
Photo taken by Matthew Wood.
