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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Local students will take part in an innovative health career awareness camp on January 18 at CHI St. Alexius Health Center in Carrington. 

With CHI St. Alexius Health as the lead applicant, Carrington has been selected as the site of a Rural Collaborative Opportunities for Occupational Learning in Health (R-COOL-Health) Scrubs Camp.

The R-COOL-Health Scrubs Camps aim to increase awareness, interest and understanding of health careers available in rural North Dakota through creative and interactive activities with hands-on experiences in several different health career tracks. This will inform the students of the many career options available in healthcare, particularly locally.

“Research has shown that growing your own is an effective way of meeting rural health care workforce needs,” says Lynette Dickson, MS, RD, LRD, associate director at the Center for Rural Health. “These camps are great examples of how community organizations can work collaboratively to inspire local youth to pursue a career in health care.”

The current and projected shortage of health care professionals in North Dakota and across the nation is creating a critical demand for an increased health care workforce. A national shortage of at least 124,000 physicians and 500,000 nurses is projected by 2025.

Collaborative organizations in this effort include Carrington Public Schools, Carrington Job Development Authority, Garr Dental Center, Family Vision Center, Foster County Public Health, Galt Chiropractic, and Central Dakota Physical Therapy.

Photo courtesy of the Jamestown Regional Medical Center.