Block Island Health Services asked the island community to join in a conversation about the challenges of operating a rural health clinic and the opportunities to sustain and grow a vital community healthcare facility. BIHS Operations Chief, and Director of the Wellness and Risk Reduction Program Allison Warfel and BIHS Executive Administrative Assistant Kyra Ernst presented this topic to the community on Monday, Jan. 20 at the Island Free Library.
“Both are engaged in higher education that is geared in the healthcare field,” said BIHS Board member Laura Parsons in her introduction of the two presenters.
“The board of the BIHS… determine the long-term needs on the island and how we best meet those needs, and how we are going to fund it. This is the beginning of helping all of us in the community,” said Parsons. “Most of us know relatively little about it.”
Warfel began the presentation by saying, “our challenges here are so unique, we can’t look anywhere else for solutions.”
One of the unique aspects of Block Island is that it is designated as a rural community.
Because of that designation,
