Eastern Oregon University Awarded $1.29 Million to Build Oregon’s Next Generation of Rural Healthcare Professionals

Eastern Oregon University Awarded $1.29 Million to Build Oregon's Next Generation of Rural Healthcare Professionals

Eastern Oregon University Awarded $1.29 Million to Build Oregon's Next Generation of Rural Healthcare Professionals

LA GRANDE, Ore. - Eastern Oregon University has been awarded $1.296 million through Oregon's Rural Health Transformation Program to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals who will serve rural communities across eastern Oregon. The funding will help EOU expand its work preparing students from rural Oregon for careers in healthcare, strengthening the workforce in communities that need it most.

The two-year award, $613,436 in the first year and $683,204 in the second, was one of only a small percentage of projects selected for funding. Only about 17% of proposals received awards, underscoring both the competitiveness of the program and the strength of EOU's vision.

"This investment recognizes what Eastern Oregon University has long understood: that the future of rural healthcare begins in our rural schools and communities," EOU President Kelly A. Ryan said. "We aren't waiting for solutions to come from somewhere else. We're building them here by inspiring local students to become the professionals who will care for the communities they call home."

The funding comes through the Rural Health Transformation Program, a federal initiative administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to strengthen rural healthcare systems nationwide. States were asked to identify projects that could quickly improve rural health outcomes through ready-to-launch initiatives.

For Eastern Oregon University, that means creating a comprehensive healthcare career pipeline reaching students long before they begin college.

Over the next two years, EOU will hire three rural health pathway specialists who will work directly with schools and healthcare partners throughout the Crook County region, the Ontario area and Northeast Oregon. These specialists will introduce students to healthcare careers, expand dual-credit opportunities, strengthen partnerships with regional providers and help students navigate pathways into healthcare professions.

Students participating in the summer institutes will come to EOU's campus, interact with practicing healthcare professionals, receive hands-on training with real medical equipment, including vital signs kits, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters and digital thermometers, and continue exploring healthcare careers after returning home.

Kathleen Brown, who led development of the proposal, said the program is designed to plant the seeds for a stronger rural healthcare workforce years before students choose a career.

"The goal is to create a pathway that begins as early as middle school and continues through high school, college and into healthcare careers," Brown said. "By introducing students to healthcare opportunities where they live, we're creating the next generation of medical professionals who understand rural communities because they come from rural communities."

The initiative also builds on current partnerships with school districts, healthcare providers and community organizations throughout the region. Rather than starting from scratch, the grant expands proven collaborations while creating new opportunities for students across Eastern Oregon.

As Oregon faces growing shortages of healthcare professionals in rural communities, EOU's approach addresses the challenge at its source, encouraging local students to pursue healthcare careers and equipping them with the education and experiences needed to return home and serve the places that need them most.