SACRAMENTO - Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, received a Legislative Leadership Award from the California State Rural Health Association on Wednesday, and pledged to continue her efforts to improve health services in California’s least-populated regions.

Colly Tettelbach, president of the CSRHA, presented the plaque to Berg during a luncheon near the state Capitol.

“It is with great pleasure that I present this award to Patty Berg,” said Colly Tettelbach, the group’s president.

Tettlebach remarked on Berg’s “passion and commitment to rural health” and said, “We’re really grateful to have you.”

“Thank you so much,” Berg told the lunchtime crowd at the Sheraton Grand Hotel. “What an honor it is to be here with all of you and to receive this great award. It’s an absolute honor, truly.”

Berg authored Assembly Bill 2281, which would have directed more federal dollars to rural health uses. The measure was approved by the Legislature, but vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

She said she was undaunted by that veto, and promised to continue working on efforts to bring better health services to residents of the state’s more remote regions.

Improving access to care for those who live in sparsely populated areas, Berg said, would require building a broad coalition of supporters.

“It’s going to mean bringing everybody in the health field to the table. It means dentists, it means nurses, it means physicians. It means clinics. It means getting everybody to look at what we need to do to bring parity to healthcare delivery in rural California,” she said. “I look forward to working on that with many of you over the next year.”