Project Description:
The mission of the Impacting Service by Allied Health Professionals in Medically Underserved Areas training program is to assist South Dakota in expanding the number of culturally competent, appropriately trained registered dietitians, occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistants practicing in frontier, reservation and medically underserved areas. Using a service-learning training model, the program will guide dietetic interns and occupational therapy students to explore practice opportunities in medically underserved communities and introduce them to the special populations served in these areas. During their didactic training, students will develop community contacts and assess community needs in a specific medically underserved area. Using this information, they will work with the community to develop a project, within the scope of their allied health profession, which will help to meet a community identified need. The student will then spend time in the community refining, implementing and evaluating their project.
The program?s combination of didactic and experiential training is consistent with demand and desirability for professionals competent in working in an interdisciplinary setting in medically underserved areas. The program will be woven through the discipline specific curriculum and appropriate classes will include course objectives in support of the project. Pre-professional practice experiences supported through this program will familiarize the student with a specific medically underserved area and will assist the community in meeting its identified needs.
OBJECTIVES
The seven project objectives include:
1. By 6/30/07, engage 28 frontier, reservation or medically underserved facilities to participate as training sites for allied health students.
2. By 6/30/07, increase the number of trained and licensed dietitians prepared to serve South Dakota?s rural, frontier, reservation and underserved areas by 20.
3. By 6/30/07, increase the number of trained and licensed occupational therapists prepared to serve South Dakota?s rural, frontier, reservation and underserved areas by 36.
4. By 6/30/07, increase the number of trained and licensed occupational therapy assistants prepared to serve South Dakota?s rural, frontier, reservation and underserved areas by 36.
5. By 6/30/07, increase the number of dietetics, occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant students placed in newly created positions or in positions unfilled for a length of time in a medically underserved area by 10% over year 1 baseline.
6. By 6/30/07, increase the number of high school students living in rural, frontier, reservation, and underserved areas entering allied health professions training programs by 10% over year 1 baseline.
7. By 6/30/07, recruit 30 minority and disadvantaged college-aged students into allied health programs.
Keyword(s):
Allied health, Training, Medically underserved areas, occupational therapy
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities, Other - Leadership
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Single-County, Mulit-County, State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
