Rural Health
News by Topic: Health career pathways
May 21, 2026 - Auburn University's Harrison College of Pharmacy was awarded a $20,000 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation scholarship. The award will support the school's Rural RxGuidance program, designed to inspire rural youth to consider pharmacy careers, while addressing workforce shortages in medically underserved areas.
Source: Auburn University
May 15, 2026 - Interview with former Mayo Clinic lead lab technologist Jim Checkel, who has developed a curriculum to train future rural healthcare providers and researchers. Since buying a Minnesota farm in 1992 Checkel has hosted over 12,000 people at events where students learn about agriculture-related topics, including mechanical injuries and diseases related to farming.
Source: The Daily Yonder
May 13, 2026 - The University of Maine at Augusta (UMA) hosted a Rural
Workforce Medical Bootcamp at its Bangor campus on May 12.
The event gave high school students a close-up look at
opportunities in nursing, dental health, medical laboratory
technology, and mental health and human services in Maine.
Source: University of Maine at Augusta
Apr 29, 2026 - Highlights 2 participants in a Minnesota internship program aiming to attract students into rural healthcare careers. The internship includes job shadowing to expose participants to rural health practice. The health system running the program plans to expand it to other locations.
Source: Essentia Health
Apr 23, 2026 - Announces a new grow your own program aiming to increase the healthcare workforce in rural Colorado. The program will support students interested in healthcare careers with both education and training related needs as well as wraparound services such as transportation and childcare.
Source: Colorado Rural Health Center Press Releases
Apr 21, 2026 - Announces the Healthcare Career Guidance Hub Initiative from the Community College System of New Hampshire. The program will build pathways into healthcare careers for high school students in addition to offering career guidance, apprenticeships, job placement, credentialing, and other educational support. The initiative is funded with Rural Health Transformation Program money.
Source: The Concord Insider
Apr 21, 2026 - Describes psychiatrist workforce shortages in West Virginia following a recent report that the state has the lowest supply in the nation. Discusses drivers of the shortage, including reimbursement rates and administrative process, fewer people entering the field, and behavioral health disparities in the state.
Source: West Virginia Watch
Apr 7, 2026 - Describes a spring break camp for Kansas elementary students aiming to reduce rural healthcare workforce shortages by introducing rural students to healthcare careers.
Source: KCUR, NPR