Greetings partners and residents,
As we enter a new year, 2022, we enter the second year of living in and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rural healthcare and human service providers have stepped up in insurmountable ways to be sure communities continue to receive the services and support they need, and we remain committed to supporting these efforts. Our local hospitals, clinics, and non-profits have worked tirelessly to increase the vaccination rates in our service area, which continue to climb as time goes on. This is a positive step and we remain hopeful that the trend continues.
LORHN continues to provide various services to our rural communities, including but not limited to health education, care coordination, advocacy, and linkage to health care and social services. We remain committed to our Network vision, members, community partners, and the rural residents we serve. As we implement programs and provide services, Lake Okeechobee Rural Health Network (LORHN) our focus remains on increasing access to quality care for all residents. LORHN staff are working with community partners and clients daily to provide linkage to services, resources, and each other.
As COVID-19 cases are surging once again, due to the Omicron variant, we are continuing our commitment to serving our communities by:
- Maintaining consistent communication with community partners to provide timely information, education and support.
- Offering our health education workshops via Zoom, at varying times and days of the week to meet the schedule and demands of our communities.
- Providing education and training via virtual meetings with local and regional partners.
- Keeping our fingers on the pulse of emerging needs and trends to guide future network and project planning.
Be well and stay safe,
Andrea Stephenson Royster, MBA, MHS, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
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LORHN Community Resource Guides |
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Knowing where to start looking for help for yourself, a friend, family member, or client can be overwhelming. LORHN has developed a community resource guide for each community of our service area. Every guide includes phone numbers for various county services as well as local medical services, senior services, medical and social support services, food, housing and utilities, pregnancy and childcare, mental health services, and employment services.
Click each geographic area below to download the community guide. Please share them! Notice something missing? Let us know!
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Reducing Opioid-related Overdoses in Rural Palm Beach County |
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Two full-time Community Health Advocates continue to serve Glades residents that are currently using or at-risk of using opioids, alcohol, and other substances. LORHN's team provides assistance to individuals and families to link/re-link individuals into treatment and support services, conduct risk reduction, and link clients with other supportive services.
Help spread the word, educate the community, and help those that need it:
- Schedule an Opioid Awareness presentation
- Share our flyers and educational materials
- Refer clients to our team
**There are no eligibility requirements for the program, it is open to all Glades area residents*
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Increasing Vaccine Uptake in Rural South Florida |
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In partnership with our affiliate organization, Health Council of Southeast Florida (HCSEF), and other community partners in LORHN's service area, Community Health Advocates will be in the field providing COVID-19 vaccine education and linkage for all rural residents. If your organization is interested in joining this effort via referral or information sharing, please contact us.
As of January 13, 2022, the percentage of residents that have received at least 1 dose of a COVID vaccine throughout LORHN's service area are listed below. Every county in LORHN's service area is at a SEVERE risk level at this time.
- Okeechobee County (52.2%)
- Glades County (38.8%)
- Hendry County (56.0%)
- Martin County (72.0%)
- Indiantown (data unavailable at this level)
- Palm Beach County (74.5%)
- Belle Glade (data unavailable at this level)
- Pahokee (data unavailable at this level)
- South Bay (data unavailable at this level)
Source: COVIDactnow.org
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Telehealth Assessment & Telehealth Advisory Group |
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LORHN has reached the halfway point of completing a telehealth needs assessment for our entire service area. The completed assessment will help guide future strategic and program planning to increase access and adoption of telehealth services among rural providers and residents.
At this time, a consulting partner is completing key informant interviews and other qualitative data collection. This work would not be possible without our engaged Telehealth Advisory Group members sharing their lived experiences, data, expertise, and understanding of their unique communities.
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FREE Health Education Workshops |
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LORHN continues to provide health education workshops throughout our service region. Workshops are offered free of charge to all, and participants that complete them receive a certificate and other items from LORHN. To maintain health and safety protocols during COVID-19, all workshops are currently offered via Zoom. |
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Understanding Opioids, Addiction, Prevention & Recovery
This one-hour presentation explains what Opioids are and how they affect our brain and body. Participants will learn signs of dependence, alternative therapies available, and recovery resources available.
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Mental Health First Aid - Adult
A full-day course that teaches participants how to recognize signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health challenge, how to listen non-judgementally, give reassurance, and how to refer a person to professional support and services.
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"Your Health Matters"


A 3-week series that teaches participants how to navigate the healthcare system, appropriate access points, how to communicate with healthcare providers, understanding medications and how to use them, healthy eating, and staying healthy.
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Chronic Disease Self-Management Program or Diabetes Self-Management Program

Evidence-based workshops are a 6-week series and provide participants with skills, knowledge, and self-management tools to manage their chronic (physical and mental) conditions. Participants will receive a copy of Living A Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions and a meditation CD.
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Rural Vaccine Confidence Initiative |
LORHN created several social media graphics for partners to share to help increase vaccine update for COVID-19. View and download the images by clicking them. Follow @LORHN1 on social media to view and share more! |
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COVID-19 Vaccine
Recommendation Updates
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Pfizer
- 5+ years old
- 2 shot initial series
- 5-11-year-olds that are immunocompromised receive 3rd shot
Booster: 5 months for everyone 12+
Moderna
- 18+ years old
- 2 shot initial series
Booster: 5 months for everyone 18+
Johnson & Johnson
- 18+ years old
- 1 shot initial series
Booster: 2 months for everyone 18+
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Rural News Articles & Resources |
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Farmer suicide is topic of new program for health care professionals
National Public Radio
January 2, 2022
Photo credit: KY Corn Growers Association
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Kids Who Lost Parents to COVID Deserve Help, Advocates Say
PEW Trust
January 10, 2022
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Rural Counties Break Record for Most Covid-19 Infections in a Single Week
Daily Yonder
January 12, 2022
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Upcoming Webinars & Professional Trainings |
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Health Center Clinician Office Hours: Leveraging Telehealth for Substance Use Disorder Care
January 20, 2022
Discuss insights, best practices and challenges for providing telehealth to people with SUD, including treatment initiation and monitoring. Identify strategies for engaging and retaining patients with SUD in care in the COVID era and Q&a
National Clinician Consultation Center (NCCC)
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Tools to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: Substance Use Disorder Populations in Rural Communities
January 26, 2022
12:00 pm
This presentation will cover vaccine facts and talking points for people who are vaccine reluctant. It will also cover the importance of COVID-19 vaccine uptake and the impact substance use disorders have on the disease course of COVID-19.
Centers on Rural Addiction, University of Vermont
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Telehealth Policy Update: What Has Happened and What to Look for in 2022
January 20, 2022
3:00 pm
Will provide an update on federal and state telehealth policy, what’s been made permanent, what’s still temporary and what we may see in the coming months. The presentation will include updates on Medicare and potential 2022 legislative trends.
Center for Connected Health Policy,
The Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Rural Health Policy Institute - a Virtual Event
February 8-10, 2022
NRHA’s virtual 33rd Annual Rural Health Policy Institute is your chance to guide the future of rural health policy with NRHA leadership and advocate for issues you care about with new and returning members of Congress and the administration
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COVID-19 and Vaccines: What Community Health Workers Need to Know • COVID-19 y las vacunas: Lo que los promotores de salud comunitarios necesitan saber
January 27, 2022
3:00 pm
This two-part webinar series offers an introduction to COVID-19 to support Community Health Workers (CHWs) in their efforts to promote acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the communities they serve. The second session will focus on vaccine resources for refugee, immigrant and migrant communities and show ways to create communications campaigns and tailor materials that are responsive to the cultural and linguistic needs of the community serve.
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FRHA 26th Annual Rural Health Educational Summit
April 5-6, 2022
Gainesville, FL
FRHA is hosting their 26th Annual Rural Health Educational Summit in Gainesville, FL. The event provides an opportunity to keep rural health voices alive in Florida.
FRHA is accepting submissions for exhibitors, presenters, and nominations for FRHA awards.
Florida Rural Health Association
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Sign up for LORHN's bi-weekly distribution of the GrantStation Insider Content e-newsletter or view LORHN's GrantStation Insider Content e-newsletter archive page for previous funding opportunities.
Local Funding for Individual/Family Assistance
COVID and non-COVID rent and utility assistance are available for renters residing in Palm Beach County. Documentation must be provided to show proof of financial hardship as well as bills for assistance requested. Palm Beach County is also currently offering a one-time $400 grocery card for eligible residents.
Almost 70 percent of Glades Electric Cooperative members participate in Operation Round-Up, which helps people in GEC's service area who have exhausted normal avenues of financial assistance. The fund is for deserving individuals and organizations. If you know of people who need and deserve assistance and live within the Glades Electric service area (Glades, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties), encourage or help them to complete an application.
Assistance Available: electrical, water, rental/mortgage, gasoline, medical, transportation to medical services, food, HVAC Repair (60+), family self-sufficiency and more.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program that assists high-energy burdened, low-income households with the costs of heating and cooling their homes. Home energy funds are provided once per calendar year and are based on the client’s gross income and household size. ALPI’s focus of CSBG funding is to support a Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSSP); however, there are limited emergency assistance funds available to help alleviate an immediate crisis. Under the FSSP, an eligible client is provided services through ongoing case management with the ultimate outcome being the enhancement of a family’s ability to, ultimately, meet their own needs. Apply online.
Regional Grants
OUR Florida provides renters who qualify with relief on unpaid rent and utility bills and supports landlords and utilities with relief on lost revenue to support their continued recovery.
Program that engages adults age 55 and over to provide mentorship for children and youth with special or exceptional needs, or who would benefit from the one-one-one attention.
Deadline: February 3, 2022
Topics include organizational capacity building, stigma reduction, cultural competency, and mental health. Deadline: ongoing basis
Community development loans to local governments, public service authorities, user associations, nonprofit organizations, and other community entities for the development and/or construction of large-scale community projects. Deadline: ongoing basis
Federal Grants
USDA Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees provide financing for telephone and broadband infrastructure in rural areas. Funds may be used to finance broadband-capable telecommunications services, including improvements, expansions, construction, acquisitions, and refinancing. Applications accepted year-round
Learn about Federal Grant forecasted, posted, and archived grants available via various Federal Government Programs. Grants Learning Center provides information about eligibility, writing, reporting, policies, systems, and more.
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Hendry & Glades
Community Collaborative Meetings
1st Friday of each month
8:30 am - 11:30 a
Hendry, Okeechobee, Glades Opioid Consortium (HOGOC)
Okeechobee
Community Collaborative Council (CCC)
4th Tuesday of each month
10:00 am - 11:00 am
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Western Palm Beach
P.A.T.C.H.
3rd Tuesday of each month
9:00 am - 10:45 am
Martin County
InterAgency Coalition
2nd Wednesday of each month
8:30 am - 10:00 am
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Lake Okeechobee Rural Health Network, Inc. (LORHN) was formed in 1994 as a non-profit corporation designed to provide for the special and specific health-related needs of the residents, visitors, and businesses in the Lake Okeechobee area; with extended services to Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee, Western Martin, and Western Palm Beach counties.
LORHN was established through Florida legislation (Statute 381.0406) and is one of nine local rural health networks covering the state of Florida. As per Florida statute, the goal of the networks shall be to ensure that quality health care is available and efficiently delivered to all persons in rural areas. Our vision is to promote/provide for the special and specific health needs of the residents, visitors, and businesses in the Lake Okeechobee area.
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LAKE OKEECHOBEE RURAL HEALTH NETWORK | 888-880-8242 | www.LORHN.org
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