An excerpt from the AHEC Health Matters Newsletter

A group of fourteen health professions students learned a great deal about work and life in a rural community by participating in the “Rural Immersion Week” program in June. The group consisted of five MD students, 4 nursing students, 2 pharmacy students, one psychology intern and two premed students, led by Mark Deutchman MD, director of the Rural Track with local coordination by Evan Cummings who teaches school in Delta.

The students were oriented to the community by a number of local speakers who emphasized how community members in rural areas collaborate to solve problems and maximize resources. The students also learned that healthcare providers in small towns need to wear many hats, and in the process, can have a positive impact on both the lives of individuals and the community overall.

In addition to small group activities, the entire group toured several local businesses including an organic farm, an orchard, the fish hatchery, a re-created pioneer village and the coal mine. The coal mine tour included an extensive safety training session followed by an underground tour. The group was also treated to a gumbo dinner with wine-tasting hosted by the economic development council and to a ranch dinner that included a discussion of the impact of healthcare payment reform on rural areas.

The program was patterned after last year’s equally successful week in Sterling, Colorado. The program will be repeated in June, 2011, probably in the San Luis Valley. Interested students should contact brenda.baumgarten@ucdenver.edu.

Read the Delta County Independent’s article on the program: In a small community, relationships are everything