HOPE grant will provide activities for children
The North Dakota Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is announcing the Health Occupations Partnering with Education (HOPE) grant program, which can be used to provide a variety of activities for children 18 years and younger who are attending school. The goal is to introduce them to health occupations that will increase their awareness, interest and understanding of health careers. This is an opportunity for rural hospitals, rural clinics, community health centers and educational systems, K through 12, to work together to develop awareness programs. Grant information, including guidance and proposal documents, will be available at www.ndahec.org. Proposals are due Oct. 15.
Three Area Health Education Centers are being developed across North Dakota through a collaboration of the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences and its Department of Family and Community Medicine, the UND College of Nursing and North Dakota State University’s College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences.
North Dakota is facing a shortage of health care professionals; 89 percent of the state is designated as a federal Health Professional Shortage Area. HOPE grants were created in 2009 as a long-term strategy to help address the workforce shortage by introducing K–12 students to careers in health care through interactive activities.
“In North Dakota, recruiting health professionals to rural communities is very difficult,” said Katie Meberg, education coordinator of the Eastern AHEC. “Home-growing our own increases the chances of meeting these workforce needs.”
“When it comes to attracting future employees, the best place to start is your home community,” said Southwest N.D. AHEC director Tony Scheerz. “AHEC hopes to get the message out about health career opportunities in North Dakota for our young people, as well as those who may be underemployed or never considered a career in health care.”
For more information, please see the North Dakota AHEC website at www.ndahec.org.
— Denis MacLeod, assistant director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations, UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 777-2733, dmacleod@medicine.nodak.edu.
