Greetings partners and residents,
It is difficult to believe we are nearing the end of 2021 already. COVID-19 continues to spread in our rural communities and impact individuals, families, and businesses. LORHN, and our Network Members, continue to serve our communities at this time - providing educational information, linking with healthcare and resources, and some partners are providing care at all levels. Our commitment to the health and well-being of the community and the sustainability of healthcare providers at this time is unwavering.
As we continue to 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, and we enter the flu season, we are continuing to follow these guidelines:
- Maintain consistent communication with community partners to provide timely information, education and support.
- Offer all LORHN health education workshops via Zoom, at varying times and days of the week to meet the schedule and demands of our communities.
- Provide education and training via virtual meetings with local and regional partners.
- Keep 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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National Rural Health Day |
Is November 18, 2021...How will you celebrate?
Download media toolkits, recognize a community start, and become a national partner!
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Telehealth Needs Assessment |
LORHN is kicking off a Telehealth Needs Assessment for Okeechobee, Glades, Hendry, and Western Palm Beach Counties.
In addition to the Telehealth Advisory Group, LORHN will be coordinating interviews, focus groups, and survey distribution to better understand rural residents' understanding and use of telehealth.
If you would like to be a part of the process or have suggestions on survey distribution, we want to hear from you!
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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 area 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!
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Screening & Linkage for Western Palm Beach County Residents |
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Two full-time Community Health Advocates continue to serve Glades residents that need linkage to health care and social support services. These may include but are not limited to establishing a medical home, enrolling in health insurance, applying for housing assistance, linkage to employment services, migrant farmworker resources, veteran resources, discounted medication, or getting durable medical equipment/supplies, etc.
Additionally, our team is working with residents and community partners to provide similar services to community members that are currently using or at-risk of using opioids, alcohol, and other substances. The goal is to link/re-link individuals into treatment and support services, conduct risk reduction, and link clients with other services they may need.
**There are no eligibility requirements for the program, it is open to all Glades area residents*
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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. Due to 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 (CDSMP)

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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Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP)
Another evidence-based workshop that is tailored specifically for individuals (and their support team) living with Type 1 Diabetes. Participants will receive a copy of Living A Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions and a meditation CD.
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Need Health Insurance? We Can Help You Apply! |
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Adults (18-64)
Open Enrollment for 2022 runs Monday, November 1, 2021–Saturday, January 15, 2022. Enroll by December 15, 2021, for coverage that starts January 1, 2022.
LORHN staff can also assist with Medicaid and Florida KidCare applications. We refer any clients with Medicare enrollment or questions to their local SHINE counselor. |
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Children 0-18
Florida KidCare offers free and affordable health and dental insurance coverage for
children from birth through 18 years of age with no application fee.
All four Florida KidCare coverage options include doctor visits, check-ups, hospital
stays, surgeries, immunizations, prescriptions, emergencies, vision and hearing, dental, mental health services and more.
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Rural Vaccine Confidence Initiative |
NRHA has developed a grassroots initiative to help rural health stakeholders build vaccine confidence at the local level. Free and easy to use communication tools Are developed around three specific audiences:
- Hospitals
- Business/community partners
- Community as a whole
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The National Institute of Health (NIH) has developed infographics that explain exactly what is and isn't in the COVID-19 vaccines. |
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Rural News Articles & Resources |
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Rural resourcefulness: How communities are innovating in the face of COVID-19
Rural Health Voices
June 14, 2021
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Resource Guide to Help Rural Communities Seeking Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Assistance
USDA
September 15, 2021
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Tele-psychiatry a resounding success in 5-year trial
UW School of Medicine
August 25, 2021
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Upcoming Webinars & Professional Trainings |
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2021 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Summit
November 3-5, 2021
Learn from the nation’s foremost policy experts on a wide range of issues and to gain unique insights and practical knowledge to navigate your state’s future in a post-pandemic world.
National Conference of State Legislatures
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Vaccine Update in the Fight Against COVID
October 4, 2021
3:00 pm
CDC will share information and updates on efforts to get people vaccinated including: current guidance on primary vaccination, status of booster doses, and CDC’s readiness to support access to vaccines, especially for those populations who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Virtual Rural EMS Project ECHO Sessions
10/7, 10/21, 11/4, 11/18, 12/2, 12/16
12:00 - 1:00 pm
Learn from statewide and national partners how to implement and sustain innovative EMS community services.
Florida Rural Health Association
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Screening for SDOH: Overview of Tools and Resources
October 13, 2021
2:00 pm
The Farmworker Health Network (FHN) will provide an overview of social determinants of health (SDOH) factors that impact vulnerable populations, including migratory and seasonal agricultural workers (MSAWs), and learn how to better identify and screen for specific SDOH factors. This national webinar will highlight information gained from the FHN’s “Screening for SDOH” Learning Collaborative activities and will feature existing screening tools and additional resources for SDOH.
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Medicaid & Permanent COVID-19 Telehealth Policies
October 8, 2021
2:00 pm
Policymakers on the federal and state level continue to decide which of the temporary telehealth policies to keep after the public health emergency is over. This webinar will focus on the permanent telehealth policy changes Medicaid programs have made and what went into those decisions.
Center for Connected Health Policy, The e Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Family Physicians in Rural America: Training, Distribution, and Scope of Practice
November 9, 2021
Family physicians are trained to treat patients of all ages and genders, for any clinical condition in any care setting. Consequently, they are the most prevalent physician specialty in rural America. Drs. Peterson and Patterson will present work on the training of family physicians in rural areas, the family physician workforce distribution, and rural/urban differences in scope of practice.
Rural Health Research Gateway

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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 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.
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
Offers a J-1 Visa waiver to foreign physicians who commit to serving for 3 years in an underserved area of Florida, allowing them to remain in the United States. Deadline: Oct 15, 2021
Loan repayment assistance for nursing personnel who agree to serve in areas of Florida where there are critical nursing shortages. Deadline: Dec 1, 2021
Grants to support community partners working to advance capacity, training, support, and community experience with COVID-19 testing initiatives in rural and other underserved communities. Deadline: Dec 10, 2021
Grants to evaluate the feasibility of implementing emerging COVID-19 testing technologies in rural and other underserved communities.
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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