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The experts are the”people in emergency roomsat two in the morning,who are oftenunderpaid or under-helped,and it’s our job to figure outwhat can be improved,and how we can help.ChartingCoursea newDr. L. Gary HartBy Kristine HenkeDR. L. GARY HART IS THE THE CENTER FOR RURALHealth’s new director. Hart is a nationally recognizedexpert in rural health care delivery and health careworkforce, and the CRH is excited to have him on board.Although his background is in medical geography, Hartsays he has always focused on health care. After graduatingfrom college, he was weighing his options between attendinglaw school and sticking with the social sciences. Hedecided the social sciences were the route for him, and hebegan a master’s program at the University of Utah, wherehis focus was health care, geography, and access to care.Hart has a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a SecondarySchool Teaching Certification from the University of Utah,where he also earned his Master of Science in Geography.18 NORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Holiday 2010
After earning his master’s, Hart wasattracted to the University ofWashington Department of Geographyby Dr. Richard Morrill. Morrill, who inHart’s opinion is “one of the nation’sbest geographers,” did a lot of healthcare research. Morrill has beenresponsible for redistricting votingregions and has been the head of theadvisory committee for the CensusBureau, to name just a few of his manyaccomplishments. While atWashington, Hart was a graduate of theDoctoral Opportunities Program in theDepartment of Health Services. Hereceived his PhD in Medical Geographyfrom the University of Washington,stayed there, and eventually added 20years of directing both the University ofWashington Rural Health Research Centerand its Center for Health WorkforceStudies to his distinguished résumé.Why North Dakota?Hart shares that several things drewhim to the prairie from Tucson, Arizona.He has always been familiar with thereputation and work of the Center forRural Health, has worked with manyCRH employees, has visited the area afew times, and is a friend of formerCRH director Dr. Mary Wakefield.One of the appeals of making themove north was the strong reputationthe CRH has always had. When Hartwas in Washington, which is one of thetop producers of family medicinephysicians in the country, he took notethat the UND School of Medicine andHealth Sciences was also one of thenation’s best. If one state beatWashington, it was either North Dakotaor Minnesota. After 20 years ofexperience with family medicine, Hartwas excited to be able to collaboratewith that department in Grand Forks,while being a part of the CRH.Another big draw for both Hart andhis family was the chance to get awayfrom the “big-city life.” His wife, Shelly,is originally from a town of about 800,so they feel coming to Grand Forksallowed them to “get the lifestyle theywanted.” Living in a rural setting—where they get to commute on a gravelroad, be between fields of potatoes andsugar beets, and allow their six-year-oldto run free with their chickens—hasallowed them to be, as Hart puts it,“happy as clams.”What’s next for the Center for RuralHealth?Hart’s first thought, “If it isn’tbroken, don’t fix it. Of course, we canalways do better, but with programslike RAC (the Rural Assistance Center),which is a national resource thateverybody uses, I just want to makesure we maintain that quality and besupportive of it.”Hart feels the biggest area ofchange to the CRH will be the additionof more research. “The mission of theCRH is to serve the rural folks of NorthDakota and the country. If when thedust clears, we have done a good joband have been successful, it will bemeasured by increased health statusand improved access to quality healthcare providers for the rural population.”“We can’t make ourselves ‘fatter,’that isn’t the goal. It’s not about us,”Hart says. “It’s about doing things outthere for North Dakota and the country.The experts are the people inemergency rooms at two in themorning, who are often underpaid orunder-helped, and it’s our job to figureout what can be improved, and howwe can help.”“So, research. What will it do? Thisis something I want to be very clearabout. I don’t want to do research forresearch’s sake. I have never beeninterested in that. The research we wantto expand is policy-relevant research,research that makes a difference forrural people. If we can, we want toprovide the research and policy analysisthat helps create good rural healthpolicy and helps eliminate bad ruralhealth policy.”So begins a new era for the Centerfor Rural Health. The unknowns are outthere, but Hart and his team are excitedto take them on full speed all with onegoal in mind: to support rural healthcare.Gary HartNORTH DAKOTA MEDICINE Holiday 2010 19
Page 1 and 2: 2009-2010 Donor IssueJudy DeMersStu
Page 3 and 4: 1014181216FEATURESJudy DeMers—Stu
Page 5 and 6: • Research funding continues togr
Page 7 and 8: New assistant deans named at UND Sc
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Page 17: Cell Biology; Biochemistry and Mole
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Page 27 and 28: ALUMNI NOTES’10s ’00sJudy Ander
Page 29 and 30: ALUMNI NOTESStan Sateren, BS Med
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Page 33 and 34: IN MEMORIAMMarilyn J. Thibeault, BS
Page 35 and 36: PARTING SHOTSOn Saturday, October 2

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