GOAL 4 OBJECTIVE A: WORKFORCE ALIGNMENT

University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources launched three new associate degree programs in 2022 aimed at meeting the growing workforce needs in forestry industries. The programs in wildland fuels and fire mitigation, forestry operations, and forest nursery management prepare students for jobs after two years of education. These offerings were approved by the State Board of Education in April 2022 and are the first associate degrees offered at University of Idaho.

With the introduction of these new degree programs, University of Idaho is taking a crucial step toward addressing the growing workforce needs in forestry and is providing excellent opportunities for students to pursue their career goals. The coursework in these programs is flexible, and students gain essential skills through hands-on training while forming partnerships with real-world stakeholders in the forestry and forest products industries. Despite the timing of final approval, five students have already enrolled in the new two-year degree programs in the Spring 2023 semester, and there has been significant interest with over 80 applicants for the Fall 2023 semester.

OBJECTIVE B: MEDICAL EDUCATION

„ The WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Project ECHO Idaho, launched in 2018, is instrumental in addressing the unique needs of Idaho’s medical sector. In a largely rural state where access to quality healthcare can be a challenge, ECHO Idaho has partnered with healthcare providers across the state to offer innovative and responsive strategies.

Through regularly scheduled Zoom sessions, ECHO Idaho has been able to provide free continuing medical education credit to nearly 6,000 participants, improving their knowledge in various clinical content areas and offering over 26,000 hours of free training . By doing so, ECHO Idaho is bridging the healthcare gap for Idaho’s rural and underserved communities

One of the major benefits of ECHO Idaho is that it helps address the shortage of healthcare professionals in rural areas. By providing continuing education and support to healthcare providers across the state, ECHO Idaho is helping to increase knowledge for providers in rural and professional shortage areas, enhance professional satisfaction and reduce isolation, and ultimately retain providers in rural areas. This is reflected in the program’s statistics: during 2022, ECHO Idaho provided education through 14 distinct programs and content areas, providing 537 professional development sessions to 1,454 unique healthcare professionals.

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Founded in 2017, the North Idaho Area Health Education Center (NI-AHEC) in partnership with Idaho’s premier medical school, WWAMI, works to develop a pipeline of healthcare professionals equipped to meet the unique needs of Idaho’s rural and/ or underserved communities. As one of three Centers in Idaho, NI-AHEC partners with local organizations, clinics, hospitals and schools to develop and deliver a portfolio of learning opportunities for students in grades 9-12, health professions students and health care professionals.

„ Since 2013, the Idaho WWAMI Medical Education program has partnered with rural and underserved communities across the state of Idaho to participate in the Targeted Rural Underserved Track program. This program matches medical students to these communities where they work longitudinally with physician preceptors over the course of their medical school careers. This experience helps generate a physician workforce specifically trained for rural and underserved areas.