NMU Center for Rural Health Marks Five Years

The Northern Michigan University Center for Rural Health recently marked its five-year anniversary and also hosted its first U.P. Future Health Leaders summer camp for 36 students who are now freshmen or sophomores at high schools throughout the Upper Peninsula.

The NMU Center for Rural Health was established in the summer of 2020 to develop collaborative partnerships that improve U.P. residents' access to affordable, quality healthcare services, and to identify related academic programs to meet regional demand.

The center received the 2024 Nonprofit of the Year Award from the Upper Peninsula Economic Development Alliance. Director Elise Bur said its collaborative relationship with the Michigan Center for Rural Health has solidified more than $2.3M in funding for health-related projects and workforce development initiatives and $80,000 in EMS tuition assistance for students in the western U.P.

Grant funding has supported reinstating the paramedic education program and developing a community paramedicine education program at UPHS Marquette School of EMT, she added. It has also trained and certified 116 Community Health Workers to date across the region who reduce barriers to care, education and employment by connecting individuals to community resources.

"The NMU Center for Rural Health is uniquely positioned to leverage NMU resources, funding opportunities, and regional and statewide partnerships in a way that benefits our campus, our community, and the U.P. overall," Bur said. "In addition to developing experiences for students, faculty and staff, we provide connections and opportunities that advance and strengthen health care efforts across the region. I'm most proud that the center is being recognized as a leader addressing rural health issues in our region. The connections, insights and experiences we are able to develop provide both health and economic benefits to the region's residents."

The inaugural U.P. Future Health Leaders Camp on Northern's campus July 20-25 was dedicated to health education and health career exploration. Topics included nutrition and cardiovascular, mental and oral health. There was also structured time to learn about surgical technology radiography, speech-language pathology, audiology, and clinical lab sciences, all programs offered by NMU. Youth got hands-on patient simulation experience, and completed CPR and first aid certification by the end of the week. Each day began with a health professional providing insight into their career and each night ended with social and recreational activities.

"In addition to learning about various aspects of health and related careers, the students got a glimpse of college life, with most staying on campus for the week," Bur said. "They learned the steps they can take now to ensure a successful college search process in a few years. I have to acknowledge Anna Christianson, the center's assistant director, who brought this camp from concept to reality. The first year was made possible through generous sponsorships, donations and student scholarships."

The NMU Center for Rural Health also offers a National Rural Health Day essay contest for high school seniors; an oral health literacy project for second graders; and an annual U.P. Community Health Workers symposium. Past projects included Fight the Flu competition involving U.P. colleges and universities in 2021 & 2022, the first U.P. Healthcare Workforce Summit in 2022, the Recipe for Success Project in 2022 & 2023, a monthly U.P. Community Health Town Hall in 2023 & 2024 and an ECHO series in 2025. . Learn more at nmu.edu/ruralhealth.