Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) has entered a partnership with six universities to address healthcare workforce challenges and foster economic development in central Appalachia.
Called the Regional Public Colleges and Universities Central Appalachia Health Consortium, the project is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE).
The consortium will explore strategies for working together and impacting health and economic outcomes in central Appalachia. Eastern Tennessee State University is leading the initiative. Additional universities collaborating on the consortium along with EKU include Appalachian State University, Marshall University, Ohio University, Radford University and Shawnee State University.
The project encompasses 235 counties in six states: Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Of those 235 counties, only six are not in an area designated a primary care health professional shortage area, and just four are not in a dental care health professional shortage area.
In addition to contributing to planning activities, EKU’s role includes leveraging health science programs to promote health career programs within EKU and across consortium partners. The goal is to address health profession needs within the region to support a robust Appalachian economy.
Key health career programs at EKU include nursing, health administration and public health. Additional programs of interest at EKU include occupational therapy, social work, speech pathology, nutrition, medical laboratory science and counseling. EKU is also pursuing the addition of a College of Osteopathic Medicine. A medical degree program at EKU would place more practicing physicians in the state, and specifically in rural Kentucky, further helping to alleviate the healthcare shortage.
