Engaging stakeholders to confront rural healthcare workforce needs headlined a two-day conference hosted at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM) in conjunction with the Texas Rural Health Association (TRHA), Sept. 20-21 in Conroe.
The conference brought together a variety of rural health stakeholders ranging from the American Heart Association to SHSU’s Institute for Homeland Security (SHSU-IHC). Keynote speakers described the efforts and resources their organizations offer to help rural healthcare systems survive, and more proactively, to thrive.
TRHA President Mike Easley discussed workforce needs and emerging solutions such as telemedicine and bandwidth requirements needed to address healthcare gaps in rural areas.
With a mission of improving primary healthcare in rural East Texas, Dr. Thomas J. Mohr, dean of SHSU-COM explained how the school aims to attract students from rural areas and send them back to those regions for clinical training during their final years of medical school.
