Valerie Arkoosh
Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie Arkoosh will present the keynote address for Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Medical Center’s third annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference on November 21.
The theme for the 2024 conference is “Cultivating Wellness—Advancing Rural Mental Health Awareness, Research, Services, and Careers.” A celebration of National Rural Health Day, the conference is open to the community.
The day-long conference will be held at IUP’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex; registration begins at 8:00 a.m., and presentations conclude at 4:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are included as part of the conference registration.
Preregistration is required. Additional details can be found on the PMRHC website.
“The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services works every day as an agency and among other state, federal, and local partners to pursue strategies and initiatives that can improve care, foster innovation, and help make comprehensive, person-centered supports available for all communities of our Commonwealth so people can live healthy lives,” Secretary Arkoosh said.
“I look forward to joining this year’s Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference so we may all learn together and grow new relationships and collaboration to strengthen health care for Pennsylvanians in our rural communities.”
Senator Joe Pittman and Representative Jim Struzzi will join IUP President Michael Driscoll and IRMC CEO Steve Wolfe for opening remarks. The conference closing will include the inaugural presentation of Unsung Mental Health Champions in the Region Awards.
“IUP is very proud and appreciative of our many longstanding relationships with IRMC, including our collaboration to present the annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference,” Driscoll said.
“In addition to our mission of educating students, IUP takes its responsibility as a community partner and agent for change very seriously. This conference addresses an issue faced by millions of people, and we are very pleased to welcome Secretary Arkoosh and all of the distinguished leaders in health care and mental health services for this important event.”
“Collaboration is the cornerstone of advancing healthcare in our rural communities,” Wolfe said. “By working together—hospitals, educational institutions, and local leaders—we can cultivate wellness and significantly improve access to mental health services for everyone. The Rural Health Conference is a vital opportunity to share insights, develop strategies, and strengthen our commitment to fostering a healthier future for our rural populations.”
Arkoosh, a physician and public health professional, was appointed to lead the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services by Governor Josh Shapiro in January 2023. She officially became Secretary on June 29, 2023. In her keynote session, she will highlight successful strategies implemented during her tenure in Montgomery County and share insights on fostering partnerships that enhance service accessibility and quality.
In addition to Arkoosh’s keynote address at 9:30 a.m., other conference presentations, all designed for all levels of knowledge, are:
- Silent Suffering: Treatment-Resistant Depression, presented by Mark Fuller, managed care medical director, Carelon Health of Pennsylvania
- Opioid Settlement Funds: Diverse Approaches and County Insights, presented by Kami Anderson, executive director of the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission; Rich Fitzgerald, executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission; and Fred Oliveros, administrator, Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Commission
- First Responders – Mental Health Training and Crisis Intervention, presented by Bobby Tanyer, program specialist, Westmoreland County Department of Human Services, and Scott Pino, secretary, Crisis Intervention Association of Pennsylvania
- Addiction and Effective County Response – Best Practices, presented by Kami Anderson and members of the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission
- Innovations in Rural Mental Health: Insights from a Veteran Surgeon, Research and First Responder, presented by Ronald Poropatich, director of the Center for Military Medicine Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Rural Mental Health Careers panel discussion, featuring Indiana Area School District Superintendent Rob Heinrich, River Valley School District Superintendent Phillip Martel, and United School District Superintendent Richard Lucas
- Innovating Mental Health Care, presented by Larry Nulton, founder of Nulton Diagnostic and Treatment Center
- Rural Community and Mental Health Rotations, presented by Amanda Vaglia, program director, IRMC Rural Family Medicine program and residents
- Integrating Pediatric Mental Health Screenings in Primary Care, by IUP psychology faculty members
- Understanding the Community You Serve: Data, Communication, and Collaboration, presented by Tammy Calderone, county fiscal officer at the Armstrong-Indiana Behavioral and Developmental Health Program, and Richard Neff, IRMC chief medical officer
In addition to the presentations, there will be a special event celebrating new affiliations between IUP’s proposed college of osteopathic medicine with four community health centers.
IUP’s Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022. Following a national search, Miko Rose was selected as founding dean in November 2023; her hiring was highlighted during the 2023 rural health conference. IUP has clinical training agreements in place with Punxsutawney Area Hospital and Indiana Regional Medical Center.
New additions for this year’s conference include Community Health Mobile Care Units from various health care organizations on site for tours and a student research poster session.
This year’s conference builds on the IRMC-IUP Day tradition of celebrating its many partnerships while marking National Rural Health Day.
The first celebration of National Rural Health Day included the launch of the IUP-IRMC podcast Rural Health Pulse in November 2022; the podcast will launch season three in November. Highlights from the 2023 Rural Health Day conference are featured in season two’s episodes nine, 10, and 11.
IRMC and IUP cosponsored the first IUP-IRMC Day on April 22 during the university’s Research Appreciation Week, presenting keynote speaker Randall Longenecker and highlighting IUP-IRMC partnerships.
The conference is coordinated by Jim Kinneer, IRMC chief human resources officer, and Christina Koren, IUP director of Strategic Partnerships.
About the Keynote Speaker
The mission of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services is to assist Pennsylvanians in leading safe, healthy, and productive lives through equitable, trauma-informed, and outcome-focused services while being an accountable steward of commonwealth resources. Its offices include the Office of Child Development and Early Learning; Office of Children, Youth, and Families; Office of Developmental Programs; Office of Income Maintenance; Office of Long Term Living; Office of Medical Assistance Programs; Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; and Office of Administration.
Prior to her current position, Secretary Arkoosh served on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. As commission chair, Arkoosh was committed to strengthening services for children, veterans, and seniors. She led the efforts to eliminate street homelessness of veterans and streamline delivery of human services. Recognizing the need for a strong, supported workforce in executing these goals, she instituted a $15 minimum wage and gender-neutral paid parental leave for Montgomery County employees. Drawing on her background as a physician, she oversaw a multipronged, integrated response to the opioid overdose epidemic, including issuing a standing order in 2015 to enable participating pharmacies in Montgomery County to dispense the overdose antidote naloxone at the request of any member of the public.
As a physician and public health professional, Secretary Arkoosh was at the center of Montgomery County’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, leading a data- and science-driven approach to the unprecedented challenge. Arkoosh’s leadership was praised during the county’s response, especially her transparency and public communication throughout the pandemic. Secretary Arkoosh is also a staunch advocate for maternal health and reproductive rights, and she serves on the Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
Upon obtaining her master of public health in 2007, Arkoosh became deeply engaged in the national effort to achieve comprehensive health care reform. She led the National Physicians Alliance, a national nonprofit organization of physicians, who, putting their patients before profits, joined a broad-based nationwide coalition for reform. During this time, she developed policy and legislative strategy and promoted public engagement in Washington, DC, Pennsylvania, and throughout the country. Arkoosh maintains comprehensive knowledge of the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its impact on individuals and the healthcare system.
Prior to stepping into public service, Secretary Arkoosh was professor of clinical anesthesiology and clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. Arkoosh is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and received a master of public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She performed her residency at Jefferson Medical College in anesthesiology with a special focus in obstetrics. She has an undergraduate degree in economics from Northwestern University.
Secretary Arkoosh lives in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, with her husband and their three children.