rural healthcare
It is our goal to support activities designed to improve rural healthcare due to its linkage to rural economic development and the role it plays in improving quality of life. We believe there is much to be gained by connecting the global rural health community and we support programs that promote a global understanding of rural health issues, and a broader understanding of different cultures and viewpoints. Our efforts are primarily focused on the important role of the nurse in rural communities, leading us to support rural nurse practice, research, and education initiatives.
We accomplish this by financially contributing to the growth of, and foster future programs for, like-minded organizations.
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The MHCH Foundation provides financial and organizational support to the GRNEN in effort to elevate the field of rural nursing in disadvantaged communities across the globe.
Each year, the MHCH funds the Global Rural Nursing Virtual Collaboration Learning Grant (GRNVCLG) to foster partnerships between international nursing students and educators who collaborate on rural community health projects. The GRNVCLG is designed to build an understanding of rural healthcare communities, and an appreciation for different cultures, with the goal of inspiring students to pursue careers in rural and underserved communities worldwide.
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Rural counties in South Dakota face a number of challenges, including an aging population, healthcare work force shortages and economic development issues. The Prairie Futures initiative was developed to harness the energy of key healthcare and educational partners to provide training and opportunities for personal growth and success for individuals, businesses and healthcare recipients in central South Dakota.
The Prairie Futures program fostered post-secondary educational opportunities for those living in rural communities through scholarships, tutoring, transportation, daycare, mentoring and coaching, computers and lab equipment.
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Through a partnership between the University of South Dakota, College of Health Sciences, the MHCH Foundation, and selected rural High Schools in South Dakota, the RHCESP program addressed healthcare workforce shortages in rural areas by providing top achieving rural high school students with the opportunity to explore Health Science related careers while completing both high school and college credits.