UM Receives $1.8M to Tackle Rural Health Care Workforce Shortage

MISSOULA – The University of Montana recently secured $1.8 million from the Department of Education to bolster the health care workforce in rural Montana.

The federal grant will fund the development and implementation of health care career pathways by three UM organizations: the Office of Health Research & Partnership, Missoula College and UM Bitterroot.

OHRP Director Lily Apedaile said Montana is experiencing a severe health care workforce shortage – especially in rural Montana – which will require a systems-building approach to solve.

“The phrase ‘it takes a village’ is particularly applicable in this situation,” Apedaile said. “The health care career pathway approach brings together many different stakeholders to address the health care workforce shortage. The pathways we build with partners in rural communities will focus on affordability, accessibility and stackable credentials.”

UM will partner with rural school districts and health care partners to build health care career pathways that incorporate dual enrollment, apprenticeships and credit for prior learning to create a career and education continuum that allows learners to stay in their community to learn and work.

She said this program builds off of work now happening in the Bitterroot Valley. OHRP, UM Bitterroot and Missoula College have collaborated with Bitterroot Valley high schools and health care partners like Bitterroot Health to pilot this health care career pathways model.

The partnerships have led to innovative solutions, such as pre-apprenticeship programs for high school students. These programs allow students to earn college credit toward health profession degrees and gain on-the-job training. The training can be applied toward several health care apprenticeships that Bitterroot Health will be offering. This will significantly reduce the time and cost for students to enter into a health care profession, while also meeting Bitterroot Health’s need for health care professionals.

“We are excited about the new partnership opportunities in the Bitterroot Valley that will ensure a robust health care workforce for our community,” said Rebecca Conroy, chief transformational officer at Bitterroot Health. “These initiatives offer education and employment opportunities locally, eliminating the need to relocate. This is the future of workforce development, and we are thrilled to be part of it.”

Kristina Berger, director of UM Bitterroot in Hamilton, has worked closely with partners to turn this community need into affordable opportunities for people to get into living-wage, sustainable jobs.

“The health care career pathways work we are implementing is a forward-thinking approach to workforce development, offering scalable and customizable solutions that address several challenges rural communities like ours face,” Berger said. “I am excited to be a part of this initiative, which offers career pathways in health care with multiple options for students.”

The Department of Education grant will enable UM to extend the work happening in the Bitterroot Valley to additional rural areas in Montana. Since each rural community in Montana is unique, the funding will facilitate customized health care pathways to meet each community’s specific needs. Ultimately, individuals in these communities will have a clear career pathway in the health care field, with various entry and exit points for upskilling.

- UM News Service -