Montrose Memorial Hospital
IMPACT REPORT 2021
A Message From the Rural Program Director On behalf of the University of Colorado School of Medicine Rural Program, thank you for your generous investments in students through the Montrose Memorial Hospital Scholarship Fund in Rural Health. We are grateful for your longstanding philanthropic partnership. Our Rural Program has become a nationally-recognized model for attracting, admitting and supporting medical students who are interested in one day serving rural communities. Your gifts guide students into rich and rewarding careers in rural health, and provide them with unique opportunities and resources that will benefit their future. With your support, students will expand access to family medicine and specialty areas across the spectrum of health to some of the most underserved regions of Colorado. In this report, you will get to meet some of your scholarship recipients who are currently enrolled in the Rural Program. The program has experienced significant growth in new and exciting ways. As you may know, the Rural Program is now a core part of the CU School of Medicine’s curriculum. We are also increasing the number of months and range of experiences that students serve in rural communities. They will fulfill their entire curriculum under the guidance of rural physicians. We cannot say thank you enough for your commitment to supporting those future medical leaders who will go on to provide high-quality care to underserved communities in Colorado. Because of you, our graduates are changing lives and transforming healthcare.
Sincerely,
Mark Deutchman, MD Associate Dean for Rural Health Director, CU School of Medicine Rural Program
Educating Tomorrow’s Rural Healthcare Workforce Your support is building a robust pipeline of physicians in rural medicine. The following individuals are just a handful of the many students who have received your support. Because of you, they are able to gain valuable personal experience of the rewards of rural practice and meet the needs of some of the most underserved populations. We hope you enjoy hearing their stories and enthusiasm for rural health.
Emily Wolverton MD Candidate, Class of 2022 The Rural Program caught Emily’s eye the minute she began looking at the CU School of Medicine’s website. She grew up in a rural community herself, which had a big influence on who she is and the kind of medical care she wants to provide. Now a part of the Rural Program, Emily says she never questioned her ability to become a rural physician. She said, “I received outstanding support from the community, including my teachers, local physicians and even patients who welcomed me into their private visits when I shadowed doctors in the area.” Where she trains in Montrose, Emily appreciates the strong relationships that exist between the rural physicians and their patients. She enjoys the opportunity to share more than a medical encounter, which she finds enriching to her career as a physician and to her life as a community member. The Rural Program provides Emily and other students with unique opportunities, from learning how different health systems work together to receiving hands-on experience with various medical procedures. She appreciates that the program has created a community of like-minded students who share similar values about what it means to be a rural physician.
My scholarship support is life-changing because it has allowed me to think openly about all possible career paths without having to choose the one that will pay off student debt. The financial freedom your support has granted me is one of the most valuable gifts I could ask for. It feels great to know I can be whatever doctor I want to be. I do not have to worry about my financial well-being now or in the future.
Haylie Petrick MD Candidate, Class of 2021 Haylie initially became interested in rural family medicine during her undergraduate studies, when she volunteered with a nonprofit in Nicaragua that provides clinical care and public health education. As she worked with family physicians there, Haylie could picture herself in their shoes, providing compassionate and person-centered care to a rural community in Colorado. Haylie grew up in a small town here, participating in her local 4-H club’s horse and livestock projects. She said, “I know that rural Colorado is my community and my people, and I want to return to serve that patient population as a provider.” Haylie was drawn to the Rural Program because of its training and mentorship opportunities, which help her reach her goals. The Rural Program has provided Haylie with numerous opportunities to immerse herself in rural community and practice, including a piloting a six-month rural longitudinal clerkship in Delta and Montrose. She hopes to be a rural family physician who can remain in a single community for many years and help lead health initiatives. She wants to provide excellent full-scope primary care and serve not only the patient in front of her, but also strive to continue to improve the health of the community through health promotion programs and research. Haylie finds rural medicine rewarding for several reasons. First, she loves working with a rural patient population, or “tough, self-reliant individuals.” She enjoys hearing their stories and working in partnership with them to meet their health goals. Second, she appreciates the challenge of having a full scope of practice: caring for infants to the elderly, delivering babies, managing urgent care and practicing in both clinic and hospital settings. And finally, Haylie enjoys her deep connections with patients and having a larger part in their lives than just a provider.
Your support has made it more possible for me to follow my dream of becoming a rural primary care physician without being worried about how I will be able to afford that choice. This scholarship has also opened opportunities to live and practice medicine on the Western Slope and has confirmed that I can see myself serving there in the future. I appreciate the clinical opportunities, collegiality of the medical community and support of my medical education.
Our Valued Partnership
Every gift you make is an investment in the health of Coloradans. Your generosity supports the training of the next generation of rural physicians who make a tangible difference in lives across our state.
Since its creation in 2012, 8 students have received the Montrose Memorial Hospital Scholarship Fund in Rural Health
Rural Program graduates practice locations as of March 2021 MONTANA
WASHINGTON
Dillon Anaconda Lewiston Red Lodge Big Timber Browning Billings
Lacey Wenatchee Moses Lake
IDAHO Hailey Burley Boise (2) Coeur d’ALene (2)
OREGON Klamath Falls
COLORADO Glenwood Springs Limon Springfield Craig Sterling
SOUTH DAKOTA Spearfish
Pagosa Springs Durango Del Norte (2) Montrose (3) Fruita
Walsenburg Gunnison Salida (3) Rifle Eagle
Haxtun Canyon City Cortez Brighton Pueblo
NORTH DAKOTA Hettinger
UTAH
Grand Junction (6) Ft. Collins (3) Denver (8) Colorado Springs (5) Aurora (4)
WISCONSIN
VERMONT
Cedar Rapids
Burlington Rutland
MINNESOTA Rochester
Lone Tree Loveland Wheat Ridge Loveland Greeley (3)
IOWA Cedar Rapids
Salt Lake City
OHIO Mount Vernon
MAINE Portland
NEW YORK Watertown
NEVADA Reno
Our Rural Program graduates enter rural practice at a much higher rate than those who are not in the program
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Conway
CONNECTICUT Harford
CALIFORNIA Westminster Truckee Los Angeles Ventura Camp Pendleton San Diego Arcata Santa Paula
NORTH CAROLINA Hinesville
ALASKA Anchorage
ARIZONA Scottsdale Bisbee
$450,000
NEW MEXICO Albuquerque
Total philanthropic gifts since 2006
TEXAS Houston Hempstead Brenham
Out of about 160 U.S. medical schools, only about 30 have programs like ours
GEORGIA LOUISIANA
Hinesville
Gretna
90%
CU medical students require financial aid
Our Rural Program graduates choose family medicine at 4X to 5X the rate as students who are not in the program
A Message from the Dean The Montrose Memorial Hospital is an important and valued partner of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and our School of Medicine. Your investments help contribute to the success of our Rural Program, which is a national leader in educating and training future medical leaders to deliver high-quality care in rural communities. You are making a significant impact on the lives of students who are passionate about pursuing meaningful careers in rural medicine. Through the school’s Rural Program, these students are providing care in some of our state’s most underserved communities. By helping to strengthen the pipeline of rural health providers, you ensure that our graduates are prepared to support the development of healthy communities across the state. We are grateful for your philanthropic leadership and we look forward to our continued partnership. Thank you for supporting our mission.
Best regards,
John J. Reilly, Jr., MD Dean, CU School of Medicine Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair