SCRHRC at AUPHA

Just back from the annual meeting of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, which this year was held in the "Holy City," Charleston, SC. It was grteat to be with a bunch of professionals focused on training the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Dr. Amy Martin, Deputy Director of the SCRHRC, along with Diane Kennedy of SC's Lowcounty Area Health Education Center, presented "Innovative Rural Health Curricula: Cultivating a New Crop of Professionals" (See students from her rural health class visiting the Angel Oak, at left) on Thursday, June 23. We have a photo of Dr. Martin presenting; Ms. Kennedy is seated. Their session triggered spirited discussion of rural education approaches at Friday's networking luncheon, at which Drs. Martin & Probst anchored the Rural table. We were joined by Dr. Keith Mueller from University of Iowa, along with colleagues from North Carolina.

Dr. Martin also presented her curriculum as a poster, as shown here. Lots of networking opportunities, as all meals and breaks were held in this large conference room.

We also offered AUPHA attendance as a one-credit option for our doctoral students. Future teachers benefit from learning about teaching as well as research. Some photos of our wonderful learners are shown below.

Post-Conference Reflections : AcademyHealth’s ARM

The Annual Research Meeting of AcademyHealth in Seattle, WA has recently passed. Those that attended will tell you of a valuable experience both in networking among some of the best health policy researchers available and in taking part in presenting the latest research in the field.

In addition, students from around the nation gathered to either begin or continue on the path of evidence-based research that will hopefully stay with them long into their career. The South Carolina Rural Health Research Center was well represented, as students and faculty presented a combined 8 poster presentations amongst other activities.

The unique culture that hosted this conference was also welcome. The city is a great place to explore, with comfortable footwear, as the supply of steep hills is endless. The city of Seattle provided a wealth of cultural activities including: the fish market, the space needle, good coffee, great seafood and a unique presence of Native American and Alaska Native art and culture. It was truly a great experience.