The present NW Minnesota healthcare provider statistics reveal quite an alarming shortage of healthcare workforce with even more drastic shortages in the near future. The region must look to develop future healthcare professionals and at minimum preserve our present rural healthcare, and better yet, work toward further expansion of local services.
Shortages will continue to be felt and increase due to the large number of current healthcare providers nearing retirement. As a region our needs for healthcare will also increase due to the aging of our overall population. Additionally, new positions continue to be created as a result of demands for new technologies and health diagnostic and treatment services. Thus, we need to attract and retain healthcare providers. We need to give our young people opportunities to explore healthcare careers, provide them with knowledge and the foundation for furthering their education in healthcare.
Those of us who live in rural Minnesota have chosen to do so for a variety of reasons. As rural residents we want to keep our communities vibrant, keep our schools and the programs they offer, allow people to receive medical treatment without traveling long distances, and provide an excellent place for families and others to live. This is National AHEC Week and across northwest Minnesota the work of the NW MN Area Health Education Center is having impact.
NW MN AHEC Program
The fourth in the state, NW MN AHEC, was established in 2007 to serve the 14 northwest counties, and is located at RiverView Health in Crookston. The AHEC challenge is to assist communities in obtaining the health resources and opportunities necessary to improve access to healthcare and improved quality of life, with a particular focus on rural and medically underserved populations. Progress is being made by forming academic/community partnerships that link the resources of academic health centers with the needs of the communities
Director Joan Tronson, helps organize clinical training for students in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy, dentistry, and mental health at a variety of sites and helps recruit and retain health care professionals in rural and underserved areas. Tronson works with medical preceptors in the region to provide rural experiences for the health professions students as well as providing the students with inter-professional experiences (IPE). IPE’s depict the interrelatedness of the various health professions and how each shares in the healthcare and treatment of each individual.
Sandy Henneberg works with K – 12, undergraduate college students, and adults who are looking to explore healthcare and related careers. Job shadowing experiences, hospital tours, involvement in student health careers related activities, hands-on experiential learning, health careers workshops, providing resources for educators, establishing mentoring relationships, establishing networks within communities, and communicating between schools, students, healthcare facilities, post-secondary academic institutions, and other community organizations comprise most of Sandy’s time.
Want to Help?
NW MN AHEC is looking for volunteers to be AHEC Ambassadors. They are people who support developing a strong rural health workforce. Support can come in many forms: house a student in training, give a tour, make a presentation, mentor a student, give a donation, be a leader of a HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) group, and more.
For more information contact Joan at 281-9216 or jtronson@riverviewhealth.org, or Sandy at 281-9536 or shenneberg@riverviewhealth.org.
