Rachel Sonne, MD: Trading Urban Life for Rural Practice
From San Diego to Goldendale—Dr. Rachel Sonne’s journey from city life to rural healthcare is nothing short of inspiring. Discover how a combination of hands-on training, personal exploration, and a desire to make a difference led her to practice medicine in a town of just over 3,400 people. Find out why she believes that rural healthcare experiences are essential for the next generation of providers.
Rural OB Solutions: Empowering Eastern Oregon
The closure of the Baker City Obstetrics department has highlighted the urgent need to address maternal healthcare challenges in rural Eastern Oregon. Interprofessional health professions students from the Northeast Oregon Campus for Rural Health, community members, and local healthcare educators and professionals will partner to develop OB simulations tailored to meet the needs of our region.
Investing in Our Story: Developing a Pathway to Practice Data System
NEOAHEC will illustrate the positive effects of the lasting investment in healthcare workforce development.
2024 Annual Report
NEOAHEC’s purpose is to develop a pathway for growing our own healthcare professionals and create sustainability in our rural healthcare workforce. This is not easy work because it takes years of investment and consistent dedication to the mission to be considered successful. Read NEOAHEC's 2024 Annual Report to find out how we shape the healthcare workforce in rural Eastern Oregon.
Nikki Billman, DNP-PMHNP: A Homegrown Rural Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
When we talk about growing our own healthcare providers, many think about investing in the next generation of children. But for people like Nikki Billman, growing our own means investing in healthcare professionals at every stage of their careers. A La Grande local, Nikki recently earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) through Oregon Health and Science University’s (OHSU) innovative distance program. Since graduating in June, she has taken on a vital role as an outpatient provider at New Directions Northwest in Baker City, Oregon, serving the mental health needs of her community. Nikki’s story is a testament to the power of opportunity, persistence, and the belief that we can build strong rural healthcare professionals—right here at home.
NEOAHEC’s Simulation Expansion: From Patient Actors to a Family of High-Fidelity Manikins
NEOAHEC is building a robust simulation program that prepares healthcare students and professionals and for high-risk real-life medical scenarios.
Advancing Maternal Health in Rural Communities
NEOAHEC is celebrating National Rural Health Day! Rural communities are wonderful places to live and work, which is why nearly 61 million people call them home.
Empowering Young Minds Through STEM
Investigators of Science—a STEM day-camp for middle school students hosted by Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center (NEOAHEC) and Eastern Oregon University (EOU)—held its 2024 event at the EOU campus on November 2, 2024.
Nate Defrees, MD: A Quintessential Small-Town Family Doctor
Between delivering babies, tending to patients of all ages, performing endoscopies, volunteering as an EMT, serving as a medical examiner, directing a small clinic in Heppner, having involvement with the Oregon Medical Association (OMA) and Oregon Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP), and working on his family ranch one day a week, Dr. Defrees does it all.
Ahnica Shoemaker: Seizing Every Opportunity
For Ahnica Shoemaker, an Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing student, being homeschooled didn’t mean that she and her five siblings spent all their time at home. Her family has worked diligently to complement homeschool education with diverse hands-on experiences, including NEOAHEC's MedQuest.