Northwest Missouri State University to launch Center for Rural Health amid statewide shortage

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- Northwest Missouri State University will launch a Center for Rural Health to address the healthcare shortage in rural Missouri.

The Center for Rural Health at Northwest will serve as an interdisciplinary hub dedicated to training healthcare professionals and improving health in rural and underserved communities through academic innovation and program delivery

The center will be funded through a mix of university funding and external partnerships.

According to the Cicero Institute, 111 of Missouri’s 114 counties have a health professional shortage.

The Missouri Hospital Association shows the nursing vacancy rate in northwest Missouri is 12.1%, compared with the statewide average of 10.1%.

NWMSU provost and vice president of academic affairs, Rose Marie Ward, said the average person in northwest Missouri is traveling 30 miles to get healthcare.

“This Center for Rural Health is training up a number of healthcare professionals, not just nursing to have that background understanding the plight of someone trying to access healthcare in rural settings,” she said.

Ward said it is key to have programs like this in smaller communities so they can have access to healthcare.

“It is also key to train up individuals in the healthcare industry with this focus, so they know there's a difference between someone who’s in a big city accessing health care versus someone who has to make a big deal to get access to that health care and may have to access several months out to do so,” she said.

Along with the center,  the university will launch a new four-year nursing program. The program will utilize the faculty and resources already in place through the university’s accredited RN-to-BSN and MSN programs.

Ward said the new nursing program is a big deal for the university.

“This four-year degree is rather exciting. Not only is it an emphasis on rural health, it’s also critical incident management as well,” she said. “A key aspect of the program is also to get them eligible for the multi-state license, so were not just serving that northwest region but the northwest in other states that are really around us as well.”

The program will initially begin with a class of about 30 to 60 students and will grow over time.

Ward said the new center and program are an opportunity not only for Northwest but their regional partners.

“We’re building those relationships with the community to really give back, and that’s really a strength of Northwest, she said. "While were starting with nursing, this is going to be a suite of degree programs buit also community service and research opportunities."

Northwest hopes to launch the Center in the fall of 2027.