We had the wonderful opportunity to host a group of Healthcare studens from Wells College recently. Wells runs a Rural Health Immersion Program whose purpose is to immerse students in a rural community healthcare setting so they can understand the needs of that community and ultimately help rural communities recruit and retain healthcare providers. In partnership with Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, the group embedded themselves in our local healthcare ecosystem for one intense week.
The program included several sets of hospital rounds, pharmacy visits, ambulance visits, and even a session studying a real medivac helicopter. The students conducted surveys of both community members and healthcare providers. We hosted several panel discussions here at FRC with medical professionals and leaders from many organizations around the region. Four professors and an alum contributed to the delivery of this program this year: Associate Professor of Chemistry and Health Sciences and Health Sciences Program Chair Lindsay Burwell, Assistant Professor of Biology Leah Elliott, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences Benjamin Steiner, Full Professor of Psychology and Health Sciences Deborah Gagnon, and recent alum Anthony Westmiller. Lindsay is a North Country native (Madrid-Waddington class of 1999) and is the main organizer of the Wells College team.
The students summarized their experiences with a presentation at the end of the week and discussed their plans for continuing on with their careers in healthcare and related fields.