Resident feedback in a pilot that improves veteran healthcare access shows exposing providers to rural healthcare rotations is a “grow-your-own” strategy for solving the talent shortage
by Intelliworx
Cracking the code to attract more providers to careers in rural healthcare may be as simple as exposing them to the experience.
A new pilot program established by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is receiving rave reviews from participating medical residents. “Surveys of residents who have taken part in the pilot report overwhelmingly positive experiences,” according to a public affairs story published on the government agency’s website.
That alone ought to be music to a rural healthcare recruiter’s ears, yet the sentiment expressed by doctors who’ve taken part is even more compelling: “After my rotation, I would seriously consider working at an IHS or VA facility,” said resident Dr. Chantel Clark.
Stay in touch by subscribing to our email newsletter.
We will never share or sell your email address.
The VA’s rural healthcare challenge
The VA is the largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S. It employs more than 370,000 healthcare professionals, serves some 9 million enrolled veterans and operates 1,380 healthcare facilities. Many of those facilities are in rural areas, and while healthcare universally is grappling with a shortage of providers, rural healthcare is especially challenged.
That’s the catalyst for the Pilot Program for Graduate Medical Education and Residency (PPGMER). The pilot was announced in late 2023, started accepting applications in 2024 and began implementing rotations in 2026.
The rotations have been rolled out at five different locations. Thirty-four “residents across the U.S. have served 1,440 unique patients,” according to the VA. “These rotations in rural and underserved locations, including facilities operated by Indian Health Service, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, have proven mutually beneficial for learners and veterans alike.”
Lessons rural healthcare can learn from the VA
The initial success the VA has had with this pilot program adds to the list of creative ways for rural healthcare employers to recruit new providers. The concept meshes well with the “grow-your-own” providers approach recommended by credible institutions, such as the Rural Health Information Hub.
Some of the lessons that stood out to us include the following.
1. Develop academic partnerships
The VA didn’t develop this program on their own. Instead, they partnered “with academic affiliates, hospitals and clinics.” Similarly, rural healthcare facilities could pursue partnerships with existing urban and regional residency programs.
Rural facilities stand to gain much needed, albeit temporary, help. However, published research shows that mere exposure to rural medicine alone improves the chances of a provider deciding to stay. A study published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education found “60% of physicians who completed rural family medicine (FM) residencies were in rural practice, with a nearly threefold increased odds of rural practice compared to graduates of non-rural residency programs.”
Gaps in supervision could be filled with creative technology solutions. A handful of rural facilities could potentially pool experienced providers to supervise. In other words, instead of tele-health, think tele-supervision.
2. Well-rounded rotations expand skill sets
Rural facilities tend to empower residents with a broader set of clinical responsibilities – often out of necessity. “Residents appreciate the opportunity to provide full-spectrum care and apply all of their training in a rural context, supporting those who need it most,” said Dr. Heather Kovich, a physician and program director, who is stationed with Indian Health Service (IHS) New Mexico.
This is a solid pitch for rural health care facilities to emphasize. Patient continuity, greater autonomy earlier in training and cross-training are strong messages that are suitable additions to a one-page marketing plan to attract providers.
This experience benefits urban facilities too. Should residents in a rural rotation program return to an urban facility later, they’ve gained valuable and well-rounded experience that enables them to deliver better care.
3. Meaningful and purposeful work
A career in medicine is a calling. Surveys show nearly three-quarters of providers (73%) are attracted to the profession to help “others or serve humanity.”
One of the notable opportunities of the VA pilot program is “street medicine.” This is a unique “outreach effort that brings health care directly to patients who need it,” according to the VA. “In this program, doctors travel in vans stocked with medical supplies to specific outdoor public locations to treat patients in their community on a weekly basis,” the VA says.
“We treat patients where they are,” said Dr. Chantel Clark, a resident in the pilot, in the VA’s progress report. “We provide medical resources to those who can’t access traditional care: distributing medications, food and clothing, including socks; checking blood pressures; and offering STD testing.”
Such work may not appeal to every provider; however, for those who see medicine as a calling, that’s an incredibly powerful value proposition for a career in rural healthcare.
Our calling as a technology provider
This particular story by the VA’s public affairs team caught our eye for many good reasons. Providers interested in applying to participate in this program might note that the application process is hosted by our technology. Our software helps the VA administer this program, the larger Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP), and other technology needs.
We credit the VA with introducing us to the needs of rural healthcare. Like the providers we aim to support, our work with the VA exposed us to the talent shortages facing rural America. As such, it inspired us to pour research and development resources into a dedicated rural healthcare recruiting platform.
Whether or not our solution can help your organization attract more providers, this VA pilot program is a promising road map for rural healthcare facilities to follow and improve access to care where it’s greatly needed.
* * *
See the software for yourself! Workready is designed specifically for rural healthcare recruiting: Contact us for a no-obligation demo.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
5 healthcare credentialing challenges this recruiting platform solves for rural facilities
