More than one fourth of Pennsylvania residents live in rural areas, with Carbon and Schuylkill counties falling squarely in the rural categories. Throughout the state, may rural residents have difficulty finding access to lifelong health care.

That’s not the case locally though, thanks in part to St. Luke’s University Health Network’s variety of rural outreach programs.

The success of these programs has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health, which recently named Rosemarie Lister, St. Luke’s Community Health Liaison, as the “Rural Health Hero of the Year.”

The award was presented to Lister on Nov. 13 at St. Luke’s Miners Campus in Coaldale, in conjunction with National Rural Health Week. It recognizes Lister as “an outstanding leader in the area of rural health, demonstrating a personal and professional commitment to the rural health needs of the community.”

Lister was nominated by her peers at St. Luke’s, who recognize her efforts in ensuring that St. Luke’s rural patients receive the services they need as well as making sure the hospital network has the resources and sustainable programming needed for a healthy community. They described their co-worker as “a diligent worker who possesses leadership skills and a positive attitude” and went on to highlight the many programs and grants she oversees.

Those grants include a $600,000 federal rural Health Care Services Outreach grant; a $12,000 grant from the University of Pittsburgh; and a $100,000 federal dental grant.

The federal grants help sustain St. Luke’s Adopt-A-School program. St. Luke’s Miners “adopted” the Panther Valley Area School District, connecting underserved students with eye doctors, health screenings, dental care, mental health assessments, healthy foods and a full-time licensed clinical social worker.

The hospital and school also partner for the popular “Get Your Tail on the Trail” healthy living program. Participants regularly walk the track at the Panther Valley Stadium and are introduced to health foods, like fresh fruit and vegetables.

Also part of the rural health initiative is St. Luke’s “Live Your Life” program, which offers a variety of support groups, including diabetes and smoking cessation sessions. There’s also a series of classes on a variety of health topics, held monthly at the hospital in Coaldale, and a “Little Free Library” as part of the efforts to boost literacy. These and similar programs are coordinated by Community Health Nurse Navigators.

Lister and her co-workers see education for all age groups as vitally important to good health. They work hard every day to improve lives in the environs surrounding St. Luke’s rural hospitals.

As for being a “hero,” Lister says, “The congratulations really go to the community for being so engaged and willing to collaborate and work together to promote overall health and well-being. It’s an honor to work with such great partners at the local, state and national level, and be part of such a positive momentum occurring in our local community, which began way before I came along.”