Past nominees have included physicians, nurses, allied health providers, hospital administrators, board members, volunteers, community health workers, and first responders. Other nominees have included coalitions and collaborators working together on initiatives that address social determinants of health, responding to a specific health need/crisis, or leading community-driven health and wellness programs.

Each year, NOSORH develops a theme for NRHD, and this year that theme is, “Driving Change | Going the Extra Mile.”  As you identify an individual, organization or cooperative to represent your state as its Community Star, consider all the ways they are driving change and going the extra mile to make a difference for rural people and populations. 

The Community Star Recognition Program is designed to honor those whose contributions are making a difference in rural through collaboration, education, innovation, and communication. The 2022 Community Star Selection Committee will review and evaluate submissions after the closing of the nomination period, and make recommendations for which stories to include in this year’s book and other NRHD activities based on the following merits. Nominee’s work and accomplishments should include at least one of the following:

• Demonstrate that they contribute to cultivating a vital, innovative rural health landscape and infrastructure
• Develop leadership capacity to grow rural population health and health equity
• Build capacity for rural data-driven program planning and decision making
• Contribute to rural health innovation, education, collaboration, and communication
• All nominees must be located, working or volunteering in a designated rural area

• Government officials, either elected or appointed to a position in the Executive, Legislative or Judicial branches of their State or the Federal Government are not eligible for the Community Star recognition program.
• Self-nominations will not be considered.
  What is a self-nomination? 
  • A marketing department or contracted agency nominating their organization, client or an individual working in the organization they represent 
  • A parent organization nominating one of the entities it owns/operates, including employees of the organization
  • A member of a cooperative or team nominating their cooperative or team
• Previous Community Stars are not eligible for consideration.

Any person with a close connection and familiar with the work of the nominee may submit nominations.   

Nominators must reside, work or volunteer in the same state as the individual or organization they are nominating as a Community Star.

Nominate a Community Star online. Nominations open June 10, 2022.

Community Star nominations will be accepted until 5:00pm Central Time on August 1, 2022. Once the nomination period closes, submissions will not be accepted.

No. The Community Star recognition program is highly valued and costs nothing to submit a nomination!

The 2022 Community Star Selection Committee, comprised of NOSORH members, will review and evaluate nominations, making recommendations for which stories to include in this year’s book and other NRHD activities based on eligibility requirements referenced in the previous page. 

Once a nomination is received, the Community Star Program Coordinator will contact the nominee via email, as well as notify a key contact within the nominee’s State Office of Rural Health. Nominees will be asked to verify details provided by the nominator on the submission form. More information about the process and next steps will be provided once nominations close.

Selected Community Stars are included in an annual (electronic and print) book released on National Rural Health Day, November 17, 2022. New this year, featured Community Stars will receive a printed copy of the book and a token of appreciation for their outstanding contributions!  In addition, NOSORH actively takes to social media to promote Community Stars, and distributes information to news outlets. 

State Offices of Rural Health, the nominee’s employer, and the community where they serve, are all encouraged to promote their selected Community Star by hosting a local celebration or recognition ceremony. 

Nominators, nominees, and all those joining the NRHD celebration of Community Stars are also encouraged to share the news through social media or inviting their press contacts to cover their hometown Community Star’s story. NOSORH’s Community Star Recognition Program team develops and shares promotional tools and templates in advance of NRHD and prior to the book’s release on NRHD.

All 50 states have a SORH. These offices vary in size, scope, organization, and in services and resources they provide. While funding levels and sources also vary, every state receives a portion of their funding from the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy through the SORH Grant program. SORH:

• Collect and disseminate information
• Coordinate rural healthcare activities in states to avoid duplication
• Provide technical assistance to public and non-profit private entities

State Office of Rural Health Factsheet