• Community Oriented Primary Care
• Problem-based Learning
• Interdisciplinary Teams
• Community-based Research
• Holistic Care
• Appreciation and Understanding of Appalachian and Rural Culture
• Direct Community Experiences

  The Rural Health Education Partnerships program strives to provide students with a complete experience as a rural health care provider. Research, community outreach, and interdisciplinary activities are integrated with traditional clinical experiences. These activities are designed to complement and enhance the rural community experience and assist in fulfilling school rotation requirements. Further, these activities reflect the reality of rural health care: the necessity of teamwork, the importance of community and cultural familiarity, and the link between research activities and the quality of care provided.

   

  Interdisciplinary Seminars

  Students attend weekly interdisciplinary seminars (IDS) in order to develop teamwork skills and the ability to approach health care as whole-system care planning (Four dimensional diagnosis and planning: biological, psychological, social and benefits). During these seminars, faculty and students of several different disciplines will make case presentations. IDS are designed to be student-lead and student-driven, with a facilitator to guide care plan development. By the end of the rotation, the IDS experience should enable students to successfully network with a variety of health care professionals to develop a whole-system care plan for their patients.

  

  Research

  Students may be involved with an ongoing research project during their rotation. The project topics vary widely and are chosen on the basis of student interest and community and health center needs. Projects may consist of clinical protocol revisions, analysis of data collected in community programs or development of new community programs. Students present their research to an appropriate group near the end of the rotation. Student involvement with rural research will enhance their ability as a consumer of research (critically reviewing research relevant to clinical practice), as an interpreter of research (explanations to patients and communities), and as a participant in practice performance reviews (to improve the quality of care provided).

  Community Outreach

  Students participate in a variety of community service activities during their rotation. Activities vary greatly and include home visits to patients, public speaking on health topics (in schools, for civic organizations, etc.), participating in health fairs, shadowing community preceptors (with NRHA Breathing Center, School-Based Health Services, Maternal and Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program, etc.), offering volunteer work to community organizations and producing health related articles for local newspapers. This experience gives students the opportunity to be a community role model while helping to educate our communities about current health concerns. Additionally, community participation will enhance the ability to relate to patients by having a greater understanding of the communities in which they live.

Clinical

Students work with one or more health care professionals in their discipline in a variety of settings during their rotation. Students also meet with staff in other departments to learn what their responsibilities include and how their role affects others. Students are assigned a clinical preceptor who will meet with them at the beginning, middle and end of their rotation to discuss goals and objectives, complete evaluations and address other issues of concern to students.