June 12-13, 2023
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC)
Duluth, MN

The Minnesota Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, the Minnesota Rural Health Association, and the National Rural Health Resource Center invite proposals for presentations to be delivered at the 2023 Minnesota Rural Health Conference (June 12-13 in Duluth).

The Minnesota Rural Health Conference seeks to support, connect and inspire rural health professionals and leaders from across the state as they work toward the goal of building healthy communities.

Proposal Submission Closed

The deadline to submit a proposal was January 19, 2023.

Proposal Guidelines

Proposals for oral presentations and panel discussions that align with one of the conference’s three tracks are encouraged:

Social Drivers of Health

Sessions in this track focus on the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes — social and environmental factors, for instance, racism, stigma, poverty, access to nutritious food, reliable transportation, education, quality housing, and financial stability — and how organizations and communities are working to address these challenges through a range of interventions. (Possible topics include: Individual organizations that have addressed social drivers of health in their community; population-level interventions that have impacted social drivers of health; community approaches to reducing health inequities)

Innovations and Sustainability 

Sessions in this track draw attention to new and creative programs, delivery models, policy changes, and even the growth of professional fields that help rural health care organizations improve their quality of care, develop partnerships in their communities and, in general, better meet the needs of their patients. (Possible topics include: New health care delivery models, like the rural emergency hospital designation and community health worker hubs; value-based care; community paramedicine)

Workforce

Sessions in this track spotlight the barriers faced by rural health care organizations as they continue to address workforce gaps — recruitment and retention, burnout — and the strategies that are being used to boost and optimize the health professions workforce. (Possible topics include: Recruitment and retention initiatives; working differently while facing a shortage of providers; telemedicine; developing your own homegrown workforce; leadership and succession planning)

Proposal submissions must include at least one presenter who is a rural health care provider, student, person with lived experience, or a person working at a rural health care organization or facility. Proposals that list speakers as "to be determined" will not be considered for review.

Proposals must be submitted using the online form. Each of the following elements must be provided during the proposal submission process:

  • Session Title
  • Presenter’s Geographic Location
  • Conference Track
  • Intended Audience
  • Number of Presenters
  • Session Description
  • Primary Contact Information
  • Contact Information for All Presenters (including a short bio)

The information provided will be used by reviewers to evaluate the proposed presentation’s fit for the conference.

Session Format

Each presentation session is scheduled for 60 minutes and should include time for introductions and audience questions. Sessions can take the form of an oral presentation (making use of audiovisuals) or panel discussion. Sessions are limited to a total of three speakers or panel members. Content must be effectively covered in the time provided. Presenters should plan for up to 120 attendees in each session.

Conference Audience

Attendees at the Minnesota Rural Health Conference typically include: health care executives; health care providers and other professionals; network directors; policy analysts and other researchers; health plan and accountable care organization representatives; educators; staff from government agencies; health professions students; and community members, leaders, and activists. 

Submission Deadline

The deadline to submit a proposal was 4 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 19, 2023.

Proposal Selection

The conference’s Proposal Review Committee will review, evaluate, rank and select proposals with an eye toward developing a balanced conference program that meets the needs of conference attendees. The primary contact for each submitted proposal will be notified of their presentation’s status (acceptance/rejection) by March 1, 2023.

Priority will be given to proposals that:

  • Propose an engaging experience for conference participants.
  • Tie to the conference theme and learning objectives.
  • Tell a story (e.g., create suspense; engage emotions; show, don’t tell; etc.).
  • Share outcomes and impact, actionable solutions, and/or successful models. 
  • Address health equity.
  • Can be effectively covered in the time provided.

Each session topic should be presented with an equitable lens for the people in the audience and consider how the idea/model/tool being presented could be replicated to advance health equity.

Presenter Expectations

All Minnesota Rural Health Conference presenters are expected to:

  • Register for the conference and pay the reduced registration fee.
  • Attend the conference in person.
  • Submit any PowerPoint presentations to conference organizers no later than Thursday, May 25, 2023. (Only one presentation should be submitted per session. If multiple speakers are scheduled to present during one session, their presentations should be combined into one file.) Presentation files will be shared with conference participants electronically and will be posted on both the conference website and the conference app.
  • Adhere to federal copyright laws and regulations when preparing presentation content.

Contact Us

Please direct any questions about the 2023 Minnesota Rural Health Conference or the proposal submission process to ruralhealthconference@ruralcenter.org.