Dr. Amy Brock Martin, the Center's deputy director, has been
named 2008 Rural Educator of the Year and president-elect of the
S.C. Rural Health Association.
Martin, who has dedicated her career to improving the lives
of rural South Carolinians, was honored at the Health
Association annual conference in April.
Amy Brock
Martin
Martin is an alumna of the University of South Carolina where
she earned her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Her DrPH
is from the Arnold School where she has a faculty appointment in
the Department of Health Services Policy and Management.
Before joining the S.C. Rural Health Research Center four
years ago, she was a program manager for the Office of Research
and Statistics at the State Budget and Control Board.
She also was associate director of the State Office of Rural
Health where she managed a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant.
Additionally she was director of education for a rural hospital.
The S.C. Rural Health Association has more than 250 members,
including academics, public health professionals and health care
providers such as physicians, physicians?assistants, nurses and
nurse practitioners. The S.C. Departments of Health and
Environmental Control and Health and Human Services also are
members.
Martin said the association mission is to advocate for the
needs of rural residents and educate policymakers about the
unique challenges and opportunities of rural health care.
She said the educational mission is particularly important
this year because the upcoming election is expected to yield a
number of new legislators unfamiliar with rural health issues.
