Minutes

WVRHEP Evaluation Committee

March 21, 2005

Members Present: Kathleen Bors, Jodie Jackson (Chair), Judy Koehler, Dalena Riggs, Ken Shannon

Others present: Shannon Bell, April Vestal

Jodie Jackson reported on the SERFE Research by graduate student, Abira Roy. Abira is looking at the responses to the first SERFE of all students who graduated in the following disciplines: Dentistry, Dental hygiene, Nursing, Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacy & Physical therapy during the time period of January 1, 2001 to May 31, 2004. This research is going to focus on whether there are any correlations between the selection of rural practice (or not) and the demographic and SERFE responses of the students who responded to the SERFE during this time period. Abira expects to complete this research this Spring.

Jodie handed out the SERFE bar chars for the time period 7/1/04 – 12/31/04 for medicine, nursing and PA, and all WVU disciplines. The charts were reviewed by all present. The variation in response rate by discipline and consortium was discussed. Jodie plans to interview the 3 consortia that have the best response rate (EWV-P, KVHC, and WRHC) to see what these 3 consortia are doing to get a good response rate. She will then share this information with all the site coordinators. Jodie said that one thing that she knew had been found successful was for the site coordinator to send out a personal email to their students requesting that they complete the SERFE. Judy said that it would probably be helpful if the RHEP web site link was included in the email. Jodie said that the site coordinators could also attach the instructions on how to access the SERFE. Jodie has a conference call set up with MU-medicine and plans to talk to WVU nursing about their response rate. Kathleen Bors was interested in whether there was a difference in the response rate of 3^rd or 4^th year medical students.

Discussion ensued about the WVSOM students who have fulfilled their RHEP requirement and are doing a rural “IN” rotation with an RHEP preceptor. Judy Koehler said that sometimes these students end up participating in some RHEP activities and wondered if they should be reclassified as RHEP. Jodie was concerned that if they were reclassified as RHEP that they would not complete a SERFE and, hence lower the SERFE response rate. Several questions on the SERFE refer to interdisciplinary activities and community service which these students may not be participating in. It does seem important, however, to count them in the Annual Report numbers, possibly with the “Other Rural” rotations. Jodie volunteered to discuss this with Hilda and Alicia Tyler.

Jodie informed the committee that the following question will be added to the SERFE for students other than med or dental students. This question is already on the medical and dental student baseline data questionnaire (which has to be completed before they can complete a SERFE);

1. a. City and State where you completed most of your high school education:

City _______________________ State: (pull down menu) Zip code of this city _____________

Other Country ____ (please specify): ____________________
Is this rural? 1. Yes 0. No