More than 100 students in grades 9 and 10 from Bowman County and New England schools will take part in the Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning in Health (R-COOL-Health) Scrubs Camp at West River Health Services on Wednesday, March 21.
The camp aims to increase awareness, interest, and understanding of health careers available in rural North Dakota. The camps offer creative, interactive activities with hands-on experiences in several health career tracks. Students will learn about many local career options, including chiropractic care, public health nursing, personal training, dental care, and emergency medicine, as well as veterinary medicine and firefighting.
R-COOL-Health Scrubs Camps are in their 10th year and take place in 11 cities across North Dakota. They are funded by the Center for Rural Health (CRH) at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the North Dakota Area Health Education Centers. The schools, healthcare facilities, and economic or job development authorities partner to increase collaborations and awareness of the economic impact of healthcare in North Dakota.
“Research has shown that growing your own is an effective way of meeting rural healthcare workforce needs,” said Lynette Dickson, associate director at the CRH. “These camps are great examples of how community organizations can work collaboratively to inspire local youth to pursue careers in healthcare.”
Organizations collaborating in this effort include Bowman County Public School, New England Public School, Southwest Healthcare Services, the Bowman Economic Development Corporation, Hettinger County Economic Development, the New England City Council, the New England Lions Club, Western North Dakota AHEC, the Hettinger HOSA Chapter, the Southwestern District Health Unit, Simulation in Motion-North Dakota, West River Veterinary Clinic, Anderson Dental, DDS, the New England Fire Department, Bachmeier Chiropractic, and Jackson Training Systems.
The current and projected shortage of healthcare professionals in North Dakota and across the nation is creating a critical demand for an increased healthcare workforce. A national shortage of at least 124,000 physicians and 500,000 nurses is projected by 2025.
Marv Leier, Communications Manager, Center for Rural Health