News from Upper Peninsula Regional Center

UPRC Hosts Rural Medicine Event

The Upper Peninsula Area Health Education Center, Marquette Family Medicine Residency Program, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Upper Peninsula Education Corporation and Regional Campus hosted the first annual virtual Future of Rural Medicine Presentation with the help of medical student, Dominique Aleo and Resident Physician, Dr. Valerie Taglione. The program successfully provided local HOSA chapter high school students, interested in health careers, with a general overview of the pathway to rural medicine, local success stories and opportunities that are available to help them along the way right here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Dominique and Dr. Taglione did a fantastic job providing insight and honest advice from a real-time rural student in medicine perspective via a student driven Q&A session. Survey results and group consensus concluded that the program was very high yield, and the plan moving forward will be to host similar annual events with other HOSA chapters throughout the region.

UPRC Receives Funding for Going PRO Talent Fund

Through collaboration with Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! and the Michigan Primary Care Association, the Upper Peninsula Area Health Education Center and its host partner, Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center have been awarded grant funds via the Going PRO Talent Fund opportunity made available via Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity-Workforce Development. These funds are intended to assist employers in training, developing, and retaining current and newly hired employees. Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center will receive a minimum of $1,500 for every newly hired FTE greater than or equal to 32 hrs./wk., that makes it 90 days beyond the initial new hire training period. Additional funding is available for any new hire who is defined as an older worker, veteran, returning citizen, or high school diploma/equivalency trainee.

UPRC Receives Funding for MiLEAP Program

The Upper Peninsula Area Health Education Center serves as a member of the OneUP Collaborative and is pleased to announce that it has received funding from the Michigan Learning & Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP) grant to help facilitate education and training programs that will enable eligible jobseekers to earn credentials leading to high-skill, high wage, self-sustaining healthcare career opportunities. UP AHEC will utilize contractual funds to support the coordination and implementation of a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program and healthcare leadership development and upskilling opportunities. Each learner or jobseeker will receive a minimum of $1,500 with the opportunity for additional braided funding. MiLEAP focuses on underrepresented populations and distressed geographic regions. Eligible job seekers are defined as the unemployed, underemployed, economically-disadvantaged, an individual with disabilities, single parents, essential workers, being from a distressed community and others.