The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau - Episode 59 - 11/17/2024

The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau is a statewide Public Affairs program airing on all of the Seven Mountains Media Pennsylvania radio stations. With a full 25% of Pennsylvanians living in rural communities, can a new center devoted to bridging the gap in healthcare education and services for the Commonwealth's rural and underserved communities make a difference in the overall health of the people who live there?  It's a novel, groundbreaking center that will not only study ways in which health disparities affect the folks living in rural PA, but will implement also new programs and healthcare services in those areas, according to Center Director, Dr. Fornessa Randal.  In the PA-mazing segment, I'm chatting with Gregg Van Horn, President of the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers Association, about Indiana County's claim that they are "The Christmas Tree Capital of the WORLD."  Is it marketing, or do the facts and history of the county bear it out?