Our third conversation with Drs. Ziller and Jonk explores the status of the rural health in Maine, US communities and how that compares to rural communities in other countries. We also discuss the different people and professions who are working to solve these challenges today and how we are educating public health and policy professionals for the future.
Our guests are Drs. Erica Ziller and Yvonne Jonk. Dr. Ziller is the Chair and Assistant Professor of Public Health at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service where she teaches courses on health policy and the U.S healthcare system. She is also the Director of the Maine Rural Health Research Center, and has directed numerous studies on rural health access, coverage and health reform. Dr. Ziller has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Rural Health, and has won national awards for her contributions to this field. Dr. Jonk is an Associate Research Professor of Public Health at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service, and is the Deputy Director of the Maine Rural Health Research Center. She specializes in rural health, access to health care and health insurance coverage. She is currently researching the differences in newly admitted rural and urban nursing home residents, elder abuse, and the use of health services by the aged.