Growing our Rural Health Paraprofessional Workforce
Description: Grows and retains the rural healthcare, behavioral and oral health paraprofessional workforce by establishing career pipelines and pathways through Rural Healthcare Academies, providing employer technical assistance and support for employee recruitment and retention, and supports Community Health Worker planning and integration in clinical and community care settings.
Activity
Track the progress and opportunities for Initiative 9.
| Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Final review of Rural Healthcare Academies proposals | In Progress | |
| Finalize recruiting and retention innovation strategy | In Progress |
| Name | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Expand stakeholder representation on Paraprofessional Workforce Workgroup | Completed | |
| Onboard Paraprofessional Workforce Coordinator | Completed | |
| Awarded three organizations to implement the Community Health Worker Sustainability and Integration Activities | Completed | |
| Rural Healthcare Academies Request for Applications | Closed 5/25/26 |
FAQs
Does this initiative include other paraprofessional workers or just CHWs?
Yes, this initiative will include other health career paraprofessional workers including LPN, CNA, EMT, MedTech. We are also partnering with Initiative 11 to include behavioral health in the Rural Healthcare Academies.
How will this program help rural communities get more support from trained health workers?
This initiative will help rural communities by:
- Increasing exposure to healthcare career pathways for high school students
- Maintaining a trained workforce for employability at healthcare providers in rural communities
- Increasing healthcare employment opportunities in the rural communities where residents reside
What opportunities will high school students have to start learning about health careers early?
Through the Rural Healthcare Academies, students living in rural communities entering grades 9 through 12 can attend free-of-charge an eight-week summer program on campus that will expose them to a spectrum of healthcare careers.