Regan McManus, director of aging initiatives at Lutheran Services in America, recently highlighted the work of the Rural Aging Action Network (RAAN) at the 2025 On Aging annual conference, hosted by the American Society on Aging—the nation’s largest multidisciplinary conference on aging.
In two well-received sessions, Regan joined three RAAN leaders to share rural-relevant strategies for improving health outcomes in rural and frontier communities. Their presentations emphasized the importance of building cross-sector partnerships and expanding investment to drive sustainable, equitable solutions for older adults in these underserved areas. In a third session, Regan partnered with the National Council on Aging to explore practical approaches for overcoming barriers to partnership collaboration in rural communities.
In addition to presenting, Lutheran Services in America hosted an afternoon roundtable for RAAN members to reflect on the past three years of the program and to collaboratively plan for the future. The day concluded with a group dinner, celebrating connection, collaboration, and progress.
We were pleased to see RAAN leaders from Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, St. John’s United, Immanuel Living, Missouri Slope and Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota join Regan in attendance.
With a growing focus on family caregiver services and supports, this next phase of RAAN promises to deepen its impact across the RAAN network.
