Forty-three eighth graders from Rugby will take part in an innovative health career awareness camp Friday, April 5 at Heart of America Medical Center. With Heart of America Medical Center as the lead applicant, Rugby has been selected as the site of a Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning in Health (R-COOL-Health) Scrubs Camp.

R-COOL-Health Scrubs Camps aim to increase awareness, interest, and understanding of health careers available in rural North Dakota through creative and interactive activities.

The Rugby Scrubs Camp will feature demonstrations of arm casting, suturing, and equipment related to emergency calls. Students will participate in a hand-washing exercise, and will have the opportunity to insert an IV into an orange. A dietician will check blood sugars and discuss diets with the students, and a tour through the radiology department will also occur.

“Research has shown that growing your own is an effective way of meeting rural health care workforce needs,” says Lynette Dickson, MS, LRD, program director at the Center for Rural Health. “These camps are great examples of how community organizations can work collaboratively to inspire local youth to pursue a career in health care.”

The current and projected shortage of health care professionals in North Dakota and across the nation is creating a critical demand for an increased health care workforce. A national shortage of at least 124,000 physicians and 500,000 nurses is projected by 2025.

R-COOL-Health Scrubs Camps are taking place in nine different cities across North Dakota. This is the fourth year the camps are being funded by the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Partnering with schools, health care facilities, and economic or job development authorities is a requirement of the project, in order to increase collaboration and awareness of the economic impact of health care in North Dakota.

– Submitted by Center for Rural Health