Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
To promote the health of rural communities through partnerships in education, service, research and
policy.
NCRHP MISSION STATEMENT
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
•Dentistry•Medicine•Nursing•Pharmacy•Public Health• Social Work
NCRHP Partner Professions
Building Rural Healthcare Infrastructure
• Expand successful student recruiting methods to all disciplines
• Expand rural health professions education using RHP teaching model
• Enhance rural health workforce retention efforts
• Establish and maintain a consistent database measuring the nation’s rural health workforce
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
The Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program at the University of Illinois
at Rockford seeks to admit and prepare medical students from the
state of Illinois who will, upon completion of residency training, locate and practice in rural Illinois
as primary care physicians.
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
What Makes Us Different
“RURALITY”
Coming from and understanding the rural
lifestyle and culture(17 points)
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
• 20% of our population live in rural areas, but only 9% of doctors are practicing in rural America.
• 500 rural physician positions open in Illinois- normally about 80 open positions.
• Today, nearly 500 rural doctors in Illinois are at
retirement age.
• Today, nearly 400 rural pharmacists in Illinois are
at retirement age.
“Rural America is a place where those most in need of healthcare services often have the fewest
options.” -Alan Morgan, NRHA
The Need…
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
Shortage Areas
RMED Student Home Counties
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RMED Graduate Practice Locations
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Achievements After 20 Cycles• Applicants from 95% of Illinois’ rural counties
• 327 students (Classes of 1993-2018)
• Matriculants from over 80% of Illinois’ rural counties
• 258 graduates (192 in practice, 66 in residency)
• 68 students in medical school
• 80% of graduates attend primary care residencies
• 70% of graduates in Illinois practicing in towns less than 20,000 people
• RMED graduates practicing in 80 Illinois towns
• 85% of graduates in Illinois practicing primary care medicine
RMED Results
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
The Rural Pharmacy Education (RPHARM) Program at the
University of Illinois at Rockford seeks to admit and prepare pharmacy students from the
state of Illinois who will, upon completion of pharmacy school,
locate and practice in rural Illinois as rural pharmacists.
Healthy People…Healthy
Rural Communities
UIC Pharmacy Grad Locations
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Area Health Education Centers
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Camps• 4-H Health Jam
• Rural Healthcare Career Camps• Rural Healthcare Experience Camp
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Intedisciplinary Preceptorships
3 Rural Sites (Dixon, Centralia, Harrisburg)ClinicalCommunityClassroom
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Rural Medicina Academy
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Recruit Hispanic/Latino students from targeted rural Illinois
counties for RMED/RPHARM programs by means of
culturally and linguistically-appropriate
programs and interventions
Native American Pathway
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International Collaborations• WHO/PAHO Collaborating Center• Network: Towards Unity for Health• Princess of Naradhiwas University –
Thailand• Maastricht University, Netherlands• University of Aberdeen, Scotland• Amazon, Columbia
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
RMED – Curriculum• Regular MD curriculum plus RMED curriculum
– 15-20 of the 50 U of I COM Rockford students• M1 Year – Foundations in Rural Family and
Community Medicine 1• Focus
– Comm. Health concepts, core concepts of family medicine, rural health issues
• Methods– orientation, seminars, case-based small group discussion,
fields trips, rural health conferences, shadowing rural family physician, select readings and assignments
• Hours– 3 day orientation, 8-9 monthly sessions
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
RMED - Curriculum• M2 year – Foundations in Rural Family
and Community Medicine 2• Focus – Same as M1 year• Methods
• Seminars, case-based small group discussions, field trips (opportunity to directly observe and interact with rural health professionals and rural communities), development of annotated bibliography on rural health topic with group presentation on four topics, select readings and assignments, ½ day per week in clinic
• Hours– Nine monthly sessions
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
RMED - Curriculum• M3 – Interface between family medicine and
community• Focus
– Concepts of community-based medicine and COPC (Community Oriented Primary Care), core concepts of family medicine related to M3 curriculum and rural practice
• Methods– Seminars, small group discussions, community health
survey, “windshield analysis,” design COPC project, selected readings
• Hours– Nine monthly evening sessions
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
RMED - Curriculum• M4 – Rural Family Medicine Preceptorship• Focus
– Clinical skills development in rural settings, community structure study, implementation of COPC project in rural community
• Methods– Immersion experience: 70% clinical, 30% community
projects (collaboration with community individuals/organizations), log clinical encounters into computer database, present COPC project in poster session, compile community notebook
• Hours– 16 week preceptorship in rural Illinois community working
with a rural family physician
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
RMED – Med Students• Common interests and experiences
– Close group of friends/colleagues• Supportive to one another
– Lectures/assignments– Rotations– Specialty choices = ENCOURAGEMENT– Staying rural
• Life long friendships– Residency together– Practice partnerships
• Educational sessions as a group– Monthly dinner meetings
• Efforts made to expose students to positive rural physician role models
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
RMED – Residency• Clinical skills – M4 16 week preceptorship accelerates skills
• Similar to junior partnership in the practice– Students very prepared for rigorous residency training
» Up to 750+ clinical encounters
• Top candidate for rural training tracks and preparation for practice after residency– 4 years of lectures and experiences to better understand rural
community health gives strong foundation to build upon• Late entry to care• Mental health challenges• Lack of specialty care• Uninsured and underinsured• Education levels – communicating with patients
• RMED grads are frequently chief residents
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RMED – Practice• Started learning about new roles as
rural primary care physician in M1– Small town politics– Adaptation as community member
• Buying groceries, attending church, etc…
– Town perception of likelihood to stay• Community members encouraged by rural
background and RMED training
– Role as a community leader– Integration with medical community
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities
RMED - Summary
• RMED program is a comprehensive, multifaceted program that combines recruitment, admissions, curriculum support and evaluation components and is longitudinal across all 4 years of medical school– RMED provides students with a rural-focused
supplemental education• Favorable attitudes towards rural practice• Preparation for future practice• Confidence regarding career choice
• Successful “Grow your own” approach
Healthy People…Healthy Rural Communities