Scholarships empower students committed to serving rural communities

The availability of healthcare is critical to the viability and economy of rural populations. Healthcare is usually one of the top three employers and economic drivers of a rural community. Lack of reasonable access to even a basic healthcare system causes a rural town to be less attractive to new residents and is a key reason for population outflow. This is particularly true for families with young children and for the elderly.

The key elements of a healthcare system are physical facilities and a workforce with the skills required to provide care. That workforce includes a wide range of professionals, such as nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, dentists, public health professionals, and behavioral health professionals. Rural towns often have trouble attracting and retaining these professionals and end up being short-staffed or suffering a “revolving door” of workers who stay for only short periods of time.

Since 2016, CoBank has partnered with the University of Colorado’s Anschutz medical campus to provide scholarships for its Rural Program medical students who have a particular interest in practicing medicine in rural America. In 2023, the bank expanded its support to include students studying a wide range of medical fields.

“CoBank’s commitment to rural communities aligns perfectly with our drive to create the next generation of rural healthcare workforce leaders,” said Mark Deutchman, MD, associate dean for rural health at CU Anschutz. “CU has been successfully producing rural physicians for 20 years. Our graduates choose to locate in rural communities at more than double the rate of those not in the program and are now located broadly across Colorado and other states. We are grateful to CoBank for its long-time support and willingness to join us in our effort to recruit and educate the medical professionals who will keep our rural residents and rural communities vital and healthy for generations to come.”