Rural Health Scholars join forces at regional conference

Medical and nursing students committed to rural health care

November 27, 2012

Three members of the Rural Health Scholars program at UMass Medical School had the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals, including Massachusetts rural health care leaders, when they participated in the 15th Annual Symposium of the New England Rural Health Roundtable.

Pictured from left to right are Ronnie Rom, rural hospital coordinator for the Massachusetts State Office of Rural Health; Kelli Paice, SOM ’16; Stephen Martin, MD, assistant professor of family medicine & community health; Laura Kozma, SOM ’16; Cathleen McElligott, director of the State Office of Rural Health; and Candice Smith, RN, BSN, a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program in the Graduate School of Nursing. Paice, Kozma and Smith attended the symposium held in Portland, Maine, on Thursday, Oct. 25.

The Rural Health Scholars program, which Dr. Martin co-directs along with Suzanne Cashman, MD, professor of family medicine & community health and Janet Hale, PhD, RN, professor of nursing, provides an interprofessional learning experience for UMMS medical and graduate nursing students who want to explore practice in rural and small town communities. The New England Rural Health Roundtable is a non-profit organization that identifies uniquely rural health issues, analyzes health policy, strengthens local capacity and advocates for rural concerns.