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 University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine Rockford (UICOMR) 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 UICOMR 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.
FEATURED PROGRAM
RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM
The National Center for Rural Health Professions at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford is supporting Illinois’ rural health workforce strategy through planning, partnership development, and implementation support connected to the Rural Health Transformation Program.
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 Pathways Programs
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
Happy Wednesday!
We are excited to be back again this week with another fun feature on a first year RMED student. Without further ado, we'd like to introduce you to Jacob Gusse!
"I would love to be featured! My hometown is Dixon, IL and I attended Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, receiving my bachelor's degree in biology. I chose RMED because I grew up in a rural community and so how rural healthcare disparities affected my family. I was surprised by how close our RMED class has become and by the strong sense of camaraderie we have developed as a group. For students applying to medical school, I would tell them to answer application and interview questions authentically and just be themselves. If they grew up in or are interested in living in a rural community, I would highly recommend the RMED program as they will get great exposure to what working in rural medicine is like and have additional classes that will better prepare them for working in the field. Outside of school, I enjoy lifting, running, playing basketball, and watching movies/TV shows."
Thank you, Jacob, for taking the time to let us get to know you a little better! We are looking forward to continuing to learn more about your fellow "Class of 2030" classmates over the next couple of months. See you back next week for another feature! ...
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One of our RMED preceptors, Dr. April Moore of Mercyhealth Forreston (www.mercyhealthsystem.org/provider-directory/providers/april-moore-md-faafp/) invited Beth Squires, Assistant Director of External & Pathways Programs, to join her at the career fair to promote health care careers and the IL AHEC Network programs.
Dr. Moore and Beth promoted health care careers and the IL AHEC Network to middle school and high school students attending school in Forreston with at least 56 students visiting their informational table and taking home information on health care careers and IL AHEC Network programs.
Many thanks to Dr. Moore for the invitation to join her at the career fair. We always enjoy connecting with students in person where they are going to school! ...
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Behind every successful project is a dedicated team, and we’re proud to recognize our RMED Graduate Assistants for their outstanding contributions this year!
Our graduate assistants have played an important role in advancing rural health education, research, and workforce development efforts by supporting projects such as:
-Contributing to the AHEC Annual Performance Report
-Supporting the 30 Years of RMED Rural Physician Workforce Outcomes project, through data collection and verification for scholarly purposes.
-Assisting with the RMED Alumni Project, including literature reviews and identifying theoretical frameworks for a scholarly manuscript
-Compiling data from three surveys for our HRSA-funded INSPIRE Grant to better understand rural healthcare pathway programs and workforce needs in Central Illinois
-Conducting qualitative coding and thematic analysis for the Illinois Rural Hospital Workforce project
-Developing a white paper highlighting best practices in rural health interprofessional education
-Entering and organizing student self-assessment and preceptor evaluation data
-Supporting planning and evaluation efforts for the Rural Health Careers Camp, Salud Scholars, and Six-Week Interprofessional Preceptorship programs
-Assisting with IRB application development for pathway program evaluations and research on barriers to participation in extracurricular programs such as AHEC Scholars and AHEC CARES
-Helping design focus groups to identify student participation barriers and effective strategies for marketing health career pathway programs to university students
-Updating and expanding outreach databases, including middle and high school guidance counselors in Northwest Illinois and pre-health/health professions advisors across Illinois
Their hard work and attention to detail have helped us move important initiatives forward. We are grateful to have your help on these important projects! ...
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We welcome you to take a few minutes to catch up on our most recent 'Access Newsletter' from Fall 2026 at the National Center for Rural Health Professions! ...
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We had a boot-scootin' good time at the inaugural UIC Health Sciences Fall Fest Barn Dance this week! From the delicious BBQ from Ralfie's BBQ and Catering, to the tunes provided by Luxe Productions DJ's, and line dancing lessons led by Jenny Vause- it was an evening full of fall fun, great food, and even better company!
A big thank you to everyone who came out to the Midway Village Museum's Red Barn to kick up their boots and to everyone who helped make this event such a success! What a great way to celebrate the fall season together! ...
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New Research Publications from the National Center for Rural Health Professions!
We are excited to share the publication of two new peer-reviewed articles that address important issues affecting rural health care and medical education. Congratulations to Dr. Kiruthika Balakrishnan, Dr. Zhi Li, and Dr. Hana Hinkle.
Why are rural hospitals closing in the U.S.? Predictors identified using explainable machine learning explores factors associated with rural hospital closures and provides insights that may help inform future policy and workforce solutions.
Artificial intelligence literacy among U.S. rural medical education students: perceptions, readiness, educational needs, and barriers examines how rural medical students view AI and identifies opportunities to better prepare future healthcare professionals for an evolving healthcare landscape.
Congratulations to our authors and collaborators on these important contributions to rural health research and education!
Read the articles: • Why are rural hospitals closing in the U.S.? link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-026-14810-w
• Artificial intelligence literacy among U.S. rural medical education students: link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12909-026-10158-1 ...
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