Photo by Dan Barker

This is an excerpt from an article by Dan Barker at the Fort Morgan Times.  Click here to access the article in its entirety.

Health occupations and broadband Internet access are a growing part of the economy, which were among the reasons U.S. Sen. Mark Udall visited Morgan Community College and the Wiggins Telephone Association Friday.  Udall stopped in Wiggins, Fort Morgan, Sterling and Akron Friday on a tour meant to give him a look at progress in Northeast Colorado and to listen to people about what they need — particularly about getting local economies up and running, he said.

Health occupations are a growing part of the overall economy, he said.  Not only are these professions vital in improving health care, but these kinds of training programs fill the need for jobs, Udall said.

Udall said he helped push through the Rural Physicians Pipeline Act as a portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The pipeline provides incentives to draw young people from rural communities into health care professions of all kinds and to return to their communities.

The idea is to promote “home-grown” physicians and other health care providers such as nurses and medical technicians, Udall said.

Udall went on to Sterling to talk with regional officials about workforce issues, and to Akron to a public meeting to talk about bringing good-paying jobs to rural Colorado.