EducateNext: Provision and Pitfalls of Genetic Services for Rural Populations with Leah Hardy, MS, CGC; University of New Mexico

• Rural populations face significant barriers to accessing genetic services, including geographic distance to urban genetics clinics, limited availability of geneticists and genetic counselors, and socioeconomic disparities. This talk will explore approaches to delivering genetic services in rural settings, highlighting both opportunities and ongoing challenges. Attendees will examine the roles and difficulties of outreach clinics, telehealth, and primary care in shaping equitable access to genetic care for patients.

  

  Only the live session qualifies for CEUs but when possible, we host the recordings on our website and NSGC recommends participants to use their personal email instead of work email addresses to ensure they receive their CEU certificates.

  

  Ambry Genetics is approved as a provider for continuing education program by NSGC and ASCLS P.A.C.E ® Program.

Leah Hardy, MS, CGC | Presenter

Genetic Counselor

Leah Hardy is a licensed and certified genetic counselor in the Division of Genetics and Dysmorphology at the University of New Mexico - the only general genetics clinic in the state. She received her MS in Genetic Counseling from the University of Michigan in 2023 and has been at UNM ever since. Leah works with pediatric and general adult patients at UNM Hospital and outreach clinics throughout the state. She is also a member of the New Mexico Newborn Screening Advisory Committee and a clinical supervisor for multiple genetic counseling programs.

Heather Rocha, MS, CGC | Presenter

Genomic Science Liaison, Ambry Genetics

Heather Rocha is a licensed and board-certified genetic counselor with Ambry’s Rare Disease Genomic Science Liaison team. She brings over a decade of experience in clinical genetics, with a strong foundation in clinical care, laboratory medicine and health policy. In her prior role as Senior Genetic Counselor at Geisinger, a rural healthcare system, Heather was instrumental in elevating the role of genetic counselors within laboratory operations and institutional decision-making. Her work bridged critical gaps between clinical need and policy, ensuring that testing strategies remained both evidence-based and patient-centered. She received three Press Ganey awards for exemplary patient care and was a nominee for the 2020 Heart of Genetic Counseling Award.