Creating community through rural engagement
What is the Campus for Rural Health?
Oregon Health & Science University’s (OHSU) Campus for Rural Health (CRH) is different in each of the three regions, but the Northeast Oregon Campus looks like this: a student from one of OHSU’s health professions programs travels to northeast Oregon. Immersive clinical experiences and housing are coordinated.
The student spends 4 weeks in this space, working with a rural provider and witnessing their day-to-day life while learning the intricacies and unique benefits of being so far from urban areas.
On top of their clinical experience, the student will attend a weekly Interprofessional Education class and will participate in a community-based project where they become more aware of the unique rural health challenges, needs, and solutions.
The CRH was created 10 years ago, and when it was brought to northeast Oregon, it served as an advancement of the work that had been done by NEOAHEC and other organizations in the region for decades. So far, nearly 1,500 interprofessional learners have been immersed in rural communities as part of the three campuses.
The Regional Associate Dean of the Northeast Oregon Campus, Patty Barfield, describes it, “At the heart of the Campus for Rural Health, the next generation of healthcare professionals learn from, with, and about the communities they rotate in, and they leave a little piece of themselves here through their work on a community-based project.”
What is the community project?
The project is always evolving. It is designed to take much longer than four weeks to complete, so each student plays a different role. Some students spend their four weeks on a review of literature related to the project, some may interview key informants, some may create informational materials or curriculum—it all depends on the current project and what has been done so far. This structure allows each block to build on the previous one.
Some of the projects that have been completed by students in the Northeast Oregon CRH in the past include:
- Improving the Union County Warming Station
- Chronic pain management and depression tracking
- Medication-assisted treatment workflows
- Lactation support and baby bag support for new families
- Pediatric immunization education
- Narcan training
- Pediatric oral health interventions
What's happening right now?
Right now, the project has been focused on simulation using NEOAHEC’s two high-fidelity manikins. The goal is to build upon an existing simulation to add interprofessional elements and to ensure that it pertains to rural situations. Learners have been focused on strengthening the Taylor Goldberg Pediatric Trauma Simulation, which has been used by OHSU.
“The pediatric trauma simulation is an opportunity for students to practice communication, teamwork, and rapid assessment skills that directly impact patient outcomes in rural healthcare settings,” explained Danielle Patton, NEOAHEC’s site coordinator.
Once this project is completed, students will begin to adapt additional scenarios, including a simulation surrounding pediatric autism this winter. Through this work, interprofessional learners are not only building their own skills but also contributing directly to the health of our communities by better preparing them to practice team-based care. This effort keeps our collaborative long-term vision of expanded simulation for rural providers in view.
Who is part of the Northeast Oregon Campus?
The following organizations have been key in creating and maintaining the Northeast Oregon Campus for Rural Health:
- Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization
- Eastern Oregon Dental Group
- Eastern Oregon Medical Associates
- Grande Ronde Hospital
- Northeast Oregon AHEC
- OHSU School of Nursing La Grande Campus
- Saint Anthony Hospital
- Winding Waters Clinic
- Yellowhawk Tribal Health Clinic
Photos are of OHSU nursing students and CRH students participating in the updated Taylor Goldberg simulation using a patient actor.