Our History

The Maryland Rural Health Association (MRHA) was formed in January 1995 as a result of Maryland’s first annual Rural Health Conference hosted by the Maryland State Office of Rural Health (SORH). A committee of rural health representatives interested in furthering rural health activities in the state had been meeting with the SORH and helped develop the first ever statewide Maryland rural health conference at the WISP in western Maryland in 1994. This committee and others attending the first rural health conference were the nucleus for the formation of the MRHA. The MRHA was formally formed in January 1995 and became incorporated as a 501 C3 non-profit Association soon thereafter. The MRHA has been meeting ever since serving as a primary advocate for quality rural health care here in Maryland.

In 1997, the SORH and the MRHA approached the FORVM for Rural Maryland—the states’ rural economic development council and now called the Rural Maryland Council—and asked the FORVM to join the MRHA and SORH in sponsoring a statewide rural Summit on health and economic development in rural Maryland. Maryland’s annual Rural Summit was conducted from 1997-2007. The University of Maryland School of Medicine School of Medicine has partnered with the MRHA over the years and has sponsored live Internet technology links, Internet classes, and live video broadcasting for several rural health conferences and for one rural summit. The MRHA has maintained a broad array of long-time partners who have helped to facilitate the MRHA, the rural Summit, and other efforts throughout the state of Maryland.

Our Mission

The Maryland Rural Health Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and advocate for the optimal health of rural communities and their residents.

Mid Atlantic Rural Health Alliance

In 2008, MRHA took the lead in exploring and developing a Mid Atlantic Rural Health Alliance (MARHA) with five neighboring states—NJ, DE, VA, WVA, and PA. The MARHA is fashioned after the New England Rural Health Roundtable which was formed in 1997 and includes the six most northeastern states. The MARHA has met three times and has begun exploring opportunities to share data, resources, and advocacy efforts among our six states and throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Watch for upcoming news and information on the Mid Atlantic Rural Health Alliance.