The Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford campus, and part of the National Center for Rural Health Professions, strives to recruit students from rural areas, who, after completing residency, return to rural Illinois as primary care physicians. RMED students meet monthly to learn about the community and public health in rural communities. Furthermore, they complete a 16-week rural preceptorship during their fourth year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Health Care Poor Underserved
September 2021
Previous research has shown the negative effects of loneliness on quality of life, all-cause mortality, and morbidity. Generativity is the concept of giving something back to younger generations and is theorized to improve a sense of meaning and fulfillment in elders' lives. This survey study examined the relationships between three constructs: generativity, loneliness, and quality of life in elders living in rural Northern California in a largely Native American community (N=98).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A six-week rural interprofessional health professions summer preceptorship provided an interprofessional training experience (IPE) for upper level baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate/graduate level health professions students in Dixon, Illinois, USA. There are three distinct yet complementary components of this forty hours per week summer preceptorship: Numerous interprofessional clinical shadowing experiences, a community service-learning project carried out as a team and weekly classroom sessions. This study assesses knowledge and attitude changes about IPE among students who participated in this Rural Interprofessional Health Professions Summer Preceptorship between 2006 and 2011.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To report on the retention and practice outcomes of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program and to examine distance from influential locations in relation to graduates' current practice location.
Method: The RMED Program recruits candidates from rural backgrounds, provides a supplemental curriculum addressing rural topics and experiences, and tracks graduates' practice location and specialty choice outcomes. Practice location and specialty were compared for 160 RMED graduates and 2,663 non-RMED graduates, from 1997 to 2007.
It is important to understand the psychosocial needs of rural survivors of cancer to better serve this group. Survivors and partners filled out a pre-tested survey addressing general and mental health, quality of life and demographics. Twenty-nine survivors and 15 partners responded.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To develop, implement, and assess an interprofessional rural health professions program for pharmacy and medical students.
Design: A recruitment and admissions process was developed that targeted students likely to practice in rural areas. Pharmacy students participated alongside medical students in completing the Rural Health Professions program curriculum, which included monthly lecture sessions and assignments, and a capstone clinical requirement in the final year.
Rural Remote Health
January 2013
Introduction: Health disparities remain a challenge in rural populations, with mental health care especially challenging as the proportion of older adults continues to increase worldwide. This study examined the mental health service needs of, and use by, independently living rural older adults, with a focus on depression.
Methods: Older adults (≥ 50 years) were asked to complete a survey.
Rural Remote Health
January 2013
Introduction: A variety of studies have indicated that rural communities have fewer mental health services and professionals than their urban counterparts. This study will examine the shortages of mental health professionals in rural communities as well as the impact of inadequate mental health services access on rural hospitals.
Methods: A sample frame of 1162 rural hospitals was compiled, and a two-page survey was mailed to each hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Fam Community Health
July 2011
This article discusses knowledge and encouragement of healthy lifestyles and health professions career awareness in rural youth. The Northern Illinois 4-H Health Jam, an innovative program targeting rural elementary school children to offer information and support related to exercise, wellness, nutrition, and health careers is described. From 2006 to 2008, a total of 262 youth have participated in the Health Jam, which is based on an experiential learning approach.
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