The WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health and the West Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program have announced 70 of West Virginia's best and brightest health professions students were recently accepted into the WV AHEC Rural Community Health Scholars Program 2019 cohort, 34 of whom are currently enrolled at WVU.
Selected Scholars from both cohorts will come together from nine institutions and 17 disciplines across the state to refine their skill sets and positively impact the lives of West Virginians in rural and underserved communities. Scholars will also develop an astute understanding of how to become leaders in their professions and communities, how to best implement health care services in rural or underserved areas, and work as an interprofessional team. Concurrently, Scholars will receive supplemental training and education from experts in rural healthcare, provide meaningful patient care in the field and gain hands-on experience.
In 2018, the Scholars program accepted 26 students from WVU; the 2018 cohort will graduate from this nationally recognized program in June 2020.
RCH Scholars focuses on interprofessional education through clinical, didactic, and community-based lenses, and also emphasizes how Scholars can create change and reshape the status quo for health care in their community. For more information on the RCH Scholars program, visit our website or contact us at RCH_Scholars@hsc.wvu.edu.
Join us in congratulating the following Scholars from WVU:
Dentistry, DDS: Matthew Dolan, Carlie Enns, Bailey Hollihan, Skylar Kipps, Nadia Mardmomen, Misbah Muzaffer, Seth Prince, Payton Southall.
Exercise Physiology, UG: Mallory Brown, Adrienne Hughes, Sarah Osborn, Olivia Voltaggio, Nicholas Wentz.
Medicine, MD: Jessica Black, Kadi Cooley, Kristen Mastrantoni, Sarah Mitchem, Ashley Perdue, Ashley Rose Scholl, Landon Simpson.
Nursing, BSN: Kaitlyn Coleman. Nursing, Ph.D.: Kate Otu. Nutrition/Dietetics, UG: Peighton Foster.
Pharmacy, Pharm.D: Bryce Adams, Mackenna Boone, Maxwell DeNora, Krystal Hughes, Emma Platt, Kayla Rose. Pharmacy, Ph.D.: Fnu (Rudi) Safarudin.
Physical Therapy, DPT: Emily Hyler-Both, Aaron Saunders.
Public Health, Ph.D.: Brenna Kirk.Speech Pathology, MSPA: Jessica Thornburg.
Additional Scholars were also selected from the following institutions: Alderson Broaddus University, Bluefield State College, Marshall University, University of Charleston, West Liberty University, West Virginia State University and the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.
The West Virginia Area Health Education Centers Program received an award of $679,700 for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, and we are delighted to share that in late December, Congress appropriated $41.25 million to the national Area Health Education Center Network (a $2 million dollar increase from the current amount). As a result of this increase, in the next fiscal year, WV AHEC will be able to provide even more support to help West Virginia meet the needs of diverse populations through healthcare workforce development, particularly for those in underserved areas. The RCH Scholars program will also benefit from this increase through support with new and current opportunities for Scholars across the state.
Read more about the National AHEC Organization.