A gathering of health care professionals will take place Friday afternoon, in Atlantic. The Rural Health Roundtable, coordinated by the Iowa Primary Care Association, begins at 2-p.m. Friday, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital.

The event provides an opportunity for health care providers to discuss issues facing rural physicians, nurses and health care administrators as well as consumers and local business leaders. The information gathered will be used to help guide the ongoing work of the White House Rural Council.

Speakers at the event will include: Judy Baker, regional director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Mary K. Wakefield, R.N., administrator, Health Resources and Services Administration; Tom Morris, associate administrator for rural health policy; Patricia Markham, CEO, Cass County Memorial Hospital; Dr. John Bigelow Jr., director, Southwest Iowa Mental Health Center; and Jan Kinnison, local business owner and health care consumer.