Description

The Health Profession Rural Summer Immersion Program (HPRSIP) was spearheaded by the Foundation for Community Health in rural Sharon, CT, to attract medical (allopathic and osteopathic) and physician assistant students to practice in Litchfield County, CT, and eastern Dutchess County, NY. These second-year students came from:

• Marist College School of Science Physician Assistant Program
• Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter M.D. School of Medicine
• Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
• UCONN School of Medicine

The following facilities hosted rotations or provided lectures for students:

• Geer Village Senior Community
• Mountainside Treatment Center
• North Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corp.
• Noble Horizons Senior Living
• Sharon Hospital
• Sun River Health (a Federally Qualified Health Center)
• UConn Migrant Farm Worker Clinics
• Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Litchfield County (home health)

You can learn more about the program's history in the Summer 2019 Issue Brief.

Services offered

Up to 9 students each year were selected for the HPRSIP. During this two-week immersion program, second-year health professional students:

• Shadowed health professionals
• Reviewed case studies
• Attended lectures and clinician panel discussions
• Learned about team-based healthcare
• Participated in a community service project and an onsite farm workers' clinic
• Experienced the community's lifestyle

Results

Between 2016 and 2018, 74% (20) of HPRSIP participants were from an urban or suburban community and 5% were from a rural community. Of these participants:

• Before the program, 10% of students rated their knowledge of rural healthcare systems as "good." After the program, 30% rated it as "very good" or "outstanding."
• Before the program, just over 10% of students reported being very likely to practice in a rural community. After the program, 50% of students reported being very likely.

Challenges

Program coordinators said student recruitment within the colleges and universities was the most time-consuming part of the inaugural HPRSIP class, but this process became easier as past participants spoke about the program's benefits to their fellow students. The program also offers a brochure.

Replication

The Foundation for Community Health collaborated with stakeholders from healthcare, local government, businesses, education, and others. Two boarding schools in Lakeville, CT, donated housing for the students, and local businesses, including the chamber of commerce, provided meals and recreational/cultural events free or at a discount to the students.

In preparation to conduct a summer session, the Foundation for Community Health acted as the point person, spending about two hours each week for a couple of months:

• Scheduling and conducting meetings
• Confirming and/or establishing partnerships/participation
• Helping committee members complete assignments

Depending on their expertise, committee members shared additional tasks such as creating program applications and marketing materials and designing evaluation tools. Planning partners include:

• Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center
• Connecticut Office of Rural Health
• Foundation for Community Health
• Geer Village Senior Community
• Health360
• Northwestern Connecticut Community College
• Sharon Hospital
• Sun River Health

Contact Information

Gertrude O'Sullivan, Director of Communications and Special Programs
Foundation for Community Health
Health Profession Rural Summer Immersion Program
gertrude@fchealth.org