Leading excellence in healthcare for rural communities
Our Vision
Leading excellence in healthcare for rural communities.
Our Mission
As experts in rural health, our mission is to improve the health and well-being of rural communities through education, workforce development, community partnerships, and policy.
The National Center for Rural Health Professions (NCRHP) at the UIC Health Sciences Campus-Rockford strives to meet the health care needs of rural residents and their communities in Illinois, around the nation and throughout the world. Certified by the Illinois Board of Higher Education since 2003, this University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford center has programs and collaborative partnerships that have become successful models for education, service, research and policy related to rural health involving multiple health professions.
Rural Health Professions (Academic Programs)
NCRHP’s academic programs in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and social work offer comprehensive add-on curriculum which gives students the unique opportunity to train directly in rural communities across the State of Illinois. Students learn firsthand about the issues facing rural health care and are prepared to serve as leaders in underserved rural communities.
IL AHEC
Established in 2010, the HRSA funded Illinois Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Network Program has nine regional centers throughout the state to serve both rural and urban underserved residents through access to health professions education, health careers development and community and public health promotion activities.
Native American Pathways
This program is designed to identify, recruit, support and graduate Native American students interested in pursuing a health professions degree and returning to their tribal communities to practice rural medicine, pharmacy or nursing.
Rural Health Internships and Experiences
The NCRHP pathway programs address the rural health provider shortage by offering students learning opportunities as early as middle school and high school. Students can participate in summer camps, multi-week immersion experiences, and job shadowing rotations in rural communities. Participants of the NCRHP pathway programs will increase their awareness of and experience with many healthcare disciplines.
Research
Faculty and students at the NCRHP are passionate about rural health issues, policy and advocacy. Read some of the powerful research driving our efforts to address rural health inequities and improve access to health care in rural and underserved urban communities.
Research
Faculty and students at the NCRHP are passionate about rural health issues, policy and advocacy.
Read some of the powerful research driving our efforts to address rural health inequities and improve access to health care in rural and underserved urban communities.
News
A huge thank you to our amazing partners from the Dixon Rural Training Track at OSF HealthCare Saint Katharine Medical Center for spending time with our second-year RMED students and leading a fantastic session on rural clinical cases!
Students worked through real-world scenarios and learned to:
☑️ Identify and understand rural health disparities
☑️ Apply clinical knowledge in resource-limited settings
☑️ Work together to develop patient-centered solutions
☑️ Practice culturally competent communication
☑️ Explore how telemedicine and innovation can improve rural care
Experiences like this are what make RMED so special - connecting students directly with the realities of rural medicine and the people who live and work it every day. Thank you for investing in the next generation of rural physicians! ... See MoreSee Less
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Exciting News!
We’re thrilled to share that NCRHP’s proposal, “Bridging the AI Readiness Gap: Workshop-Based Training for Rural-Track Healthcare Learners,” has been awarded a $10,000 Education Research and Scholarship Project (ERSP) Grant from the University of Illinois College of Medicine!
This grant, jointly funded by the College of Medicine Dean’s Office and the Department of Medical Education, will support NCRHP to:
● Develop experiential, case-based, hands-on workshops a set of hands-on, workshop-based training sessions to strengthen AI literacy among RMED students.
● Implement the workshops focusing on data interpretation, bias recognition, ethical decision-making, and communication of AI-generated results.
● Evaluate changes in students’ AI knowledge, confidence, and applied skills using pre-/post-assessments.
Congratulations to the project team:
PI: Hana Hinkle, PhD
Co-Investigators: Kiruthika Balakrishnan, PhD, and Zhi Li, PhD, MEd
We’re grateful for this support and excited to move this work forward to strengthen AI readiness and educational innovation in rural health training. Stay tuned for more updates! ... See MoreSee Less
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Happy Friday! We'd like to wish everyone a very happy 2026! This year has been off to a wonderful start, and we're happy to share another Facebook feature on an M1 RMED student! Without further ado, we'd like to introduce you to Thomas Huisman.
1. What is your hometown? Chatsworth, IL
2. Which college did you attend and what is your undergraduate degree in?
Illinois State University - Nursing & Spanish
3. Why did you choose to focus on rural medicine?
I loved my rural internship with AHEC. After that experience, I knew I wanted to practice in a small town setting that offers plenty of clinical variety and independence.
4. What has been something you have found to be an unexpected, yet pleasant surprise during your RMED experience so far?
The collegiality and camaraderie among all students, even in different graduating classes, has been equal parts surprising, pleasant, and helpful.
5. What advice would you give to students applying to medical school? How would you encourage them to consider rural health?
You're wise to worry about GPA and MCAT scores, but find time to develop your personality and identity as well. If you hate traffic and love seeing the horizon, rural may be right for you!
6. What hobbies/interests do you have outside of school?
I love all things tinkering: Rubik's cubes, small engines, bikes (motorcycles and bicycles), and creative writing.
Thank you, Thomas, for taking the time to let us get to know you a little better! We are so happy to have you in our RMED program! ... See MoreSee Less
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Great news for healthcare providers serving rural and underserved communities in Illinois!
The Underserved Health Care Provider Workforce (UHCPW) Program is now OPEN and accepting applications for the next 3 weeks. Funds run out early – so don’t wait to apply!
Providers can receive up to $50,000 in loan repayment for:
2 years of full-time service or
4 years of half-time service
Applications must be submitted through the UHCPW Website: idph.illinois.gov/nespmis/SLRPInformation/Show-UHCPWInformation.aspx?SLRPInformation=jGBABifmZ5pb...
Eligible Provider Types include:
• Primary Care Physicians (internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics)
• General Surgeons
• Emergency Medicine Physicians
• Obstetricians
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
• Physician Assistants
• Chiropractors
• Anesthesiologists
Questions can be directed to:
Kandice Kent at the Illinois Department of Public Health, Center for Rural Health at Kandice.Kent@illinois.gov or by phone at 217-725-1236.
Please help spread the word to providers who may be eligible! ... See MoreSee Less
UHCPW Information
idph.illinois.gov
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Here's an opportunity for the general public to catch the UICOM-R Ultrasounds for the first time in 2026! We are so proud of our RMED students that participate in this extracurricular music group that brings such joy to those who catch their performances! ... See MoreSee Less
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Before our offices take a pause for the holidays and for the rest of 2025, we'd like to introduce a new face you'll be seeing in our department more frequently in the new year!
Please help us welcome Office Manager Ashley McVady, who has recently joined our NCRHP Administrative Support team.
"Some of my responsibilities include; helping to track the strategic plan, assisting Business Manager Monica Ackerman with business expense reports, updating the Access database, and assisting with student research tracking. I would say the thing I'm looking forward to most is learning more about rural medicine and everything the National Center for Rural Health Professions offers our students, since I grew up in a rural area myself!"
Welcome Ashley! We are SO happy to have you join our fantastic NCRHP team, and we look forward to all of the work you will help us do for rural communities! ... See MoreSee Less
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