Rural Project Examples: Physician assistants

Other Project Examples

Rural Experiences for Health Professions Students (REHPS)

Updated/reviewed July 2023

• Need: An ongoing shortage of healthcare providers in rural areas of South Dakota
• Intervention: A 4-week summer program placing health professions students in rural communities.
• Results: Of graduating participants, 71% practice in South Dakota with 30% of those graduates practicing in rural communities with populations fewer than 10,000, or veteran facilities.

Health Profession Rural Summer Immersion Program

Updated/reviewed June 2023

• Need: To expose medical and physician assistant students to rural healthcare practices and a rural lifestyle.
• Intervention: A two-week immersion program for second-year students to experience rural healthcare and rural life in Connecticut and New York.
• Results: In post-program evaluations from 2016 to 2018, 50% of students reported being very likely to practice in a rural setting, compared to just over 10% of students before the program.

Avera LIGHT

Updated/reviewed March 2021

• Need: Assistance for urban and rural physicians — as well as other healthcare providers — who are experiencing burnout and other issues associated with well-being.
• Intervention: As part of its provider well-being focus in its rural and urban facilities, Avera Health system has created a program which attends to physician wellness issues starting with recruitment with continued support through retirement.
• Results: With increasing engagement due to word of mouth, the program creates a culture of wellness where stigma is decreased and providers are encouraged to be proactive in reaching out for assistance for issues related to their personal and professional well-being.