Supporting rural health care
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On June 27, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., held a news conference in Aledo, Illinois, to announce his “Roadmap to Grow Illinois’ Rural Health Workforce.” He was joined by rural health care leaders, including Kathleen Sparbel, PhD, MS ’96, FNP-BC, then
director of the UIC Nursing-Quad Cities Campus.
Durbin said at the conference: “Rural hospitals and clinics are facing a real threat … from a shortage of health care professionals.
Durbin’s plan aims to address professional shortages by introducing younger people to health careers, reaching them
while they are still in middle or high school.
For her part, Sparbel emphasized what UIC Nursing has to offer in terms of combatting the shortage of baccalaureate-prepared
nurses: “Our [six] campuses … offer convenient access to nursing education. We collaborate with community colleges statewide, allowing students to earn an associate degree in nursing while enrolling in our online BSN-completion program.”
She further emphasized UIC Nursing’s Teaching/Learning in Nursing Certificate, aimed at expanding the pool of much-needed nursing faculty, and the college’s rural health concentration, which educates nurse practitioners on health issues unique to rural populations.