Unity Medical Center builds rural education into its walls — and its mission

In 2019, CEO Alan O’Neil was supervising the 2019-2021 expansion of the Grafton, N.D., hospital when he noticed that part of the third floor “was designated to be just a flat roof,” O’Neil told the AHA. “I asked the architect, ‘Does that mean we could shell that in and build a really creative space?” 

They could, and they did. What was once going to be empty space is now used for everything from staff meetings to community medical events, but its main purpose is serving as the Rural Medical Education Center, supporting Unity's commitment to health care education at all levels. Also, one wall was designated as a Veteran’s Wall and hosts pictures of nearly 300 area veterans. 

One of those education levels (Scrubs Camp) is a partnership with local high schools that enables students to come in and get a first-hand look at careers in health care. “The first time we did this, I was really skeptical,” O’Neil said. “I thought there would be a lack of focus. I was completely wrong — the students were extremely focused.” Visiting students can see their community hospital in action and get some hands-on learning in many departments, including a session with the hospital’s da Vinci surgical robot. “The accolades the students and faculty give us are very positive,” O’Neil said. “I know we have created a pathway for many of them to pursue a career in health care.”

Unity is also a designated ROME (Rural Opportunities in Medical Education) site. The University of North Dakota School of Medicine is about 45 miles away, “and they send medical students out here, as these students have expressed an interest in potentially practicing in a rural environment,” O’Neil said. The hospital owns a house near the facility where ROME students can live during their five-month rotation and “can really get exposure to living in a rural community, and what a rural practice is like.” Unity also offers educational opportunities for advanced practice providers, nurses, dietitians, lab technicians, radiology professionals, and physical, occupational and speech therapists. Of course, Unity doesn’t keep all those students to themselves; most go on to work in other facilities, many of them rural. “They go elsewhere, but I’m very comfortable saying they’ve really enjoyed the training environment and the time they’ve spent here. We have an incredibly dedicated team that loves to teach and mentor.”