Pete Antonson, North Dakota Rural Health Association presents Dr. Joshua Ranum, with the 2018 Dakota Conference Emerging Rural Leader award.

Joshua C. Ranum, MD, of West River Health Services in Hettinger received the Emerging Rural Leader award at the 2018 Dakota Conference on Rural and Public Health June 14 in Grand Forks. The award recognizes a new professional who has demonstrated tremendous promise for and commitment to improving the health of rural North Dakota residents.

Ranum has been an internal medical specialist at West River Health Services since 2012. He is from the Hettinger, North Dakota area and understands the challenges that face rural medicine. That is why he actively promotes, educates, and mentors young medical students who come to Hettinger for internal medicine clerkships. In addition, he is a clinical assistant professor of Internal Medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, where he serves as a preceptor and mentor to the next generation of rural physicians.

“Dr. Ranum understands the need for dedicated providers to serve rural communities,” said Mitch Schultz, pharmacy manager at West River Regional Medical Center. “His choice to return to rural North Dakota following completion of his internal medicine residency speaks volumes to his dedication to serving rural communities.”

The Dakota Conference is a joint effort by the North Dakota Rural Health Association; the North Dakota Public Health Association; Altru Health System of Grand Forks; the UND College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines; and the Center for Rural Health.

To see videos of all this year’s awardees, visit ruralhealth.und.edu/dakota-conference/awards/archive.