Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Non-Construction - Address: 1750 Independence Ave. Kansas City, MO 64106 Co-Project Director: Dr. Linda Niessen, Dean/Professor and Vice Provost for Oral Health Affairs, College of Dental Medicine (417) 208-0755/Email: LNiessen@kansascity.edu Co-Project Director: Dr. Sharon Gordon, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research, College of Dental Medicine, (417) 208-0765/Email: SGordon@kansascity.edu Website address: https://www.kansascity.edu Funds Requested: $2,999,647 Project Overview: The HWI will improve the health of people in vulnerable, underserved, and rural communities. KCU will strengthen interprofessional education (IPE), which provides opportunities for medical, dental, and psychology students to learn alongside each other and about their peers’ respective health professions to improve collaboration and health outcomes. Students will deliver interprofessional care (IPC) as they continue from clinical rotations to outreach experiences and into the workforce. This project will develop partnerships with regional organizations for community health outreach and will develop a pipeline for prospective students to pursue health careers. Partnerships will expand interprofessional education and care (IPE/C) opportunities and community outreach. Needs Addressed: There is a significant need for physicians, dentists, and behavioral health professionals in rural communities, particularly in southwest Missouri, known locally as the “four-state area” where Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma converge. There is a high-need area in a 125-mile radius catchment area around the Joplin campus, with 263 designated mental health professional shortage areas, 260 health professional shortage areas, and 257 dental health professional shortage areas (HRSA, 2022). Within the catchment area, 33.3% of residents live in rural areas (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021), which comprise 90% of the counties (HRSA, 2022). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of adults have at least one chronic illness (2021). Physicians and dentists must work together to improve overall health through prevention/treatment of chronic diseases. IPE/C can improve health outcomes for patients. Proposed Services: The HWI will use an IPE/C model to strengthen the healthcare workforce in Missouri and communities in the catchment area. KCU’s medical, dental, and behavioral programs will recruit, matriculate, and graduate health care providers who will deliver patient-centered, inter-professional care in rural/underserved communities. KCU will: 1. Develop a comprehensive IPE/C program to prepare students to care for rural or underserved patients while recruiting a diverse faculty and staff to educate future health care professionals. 2. Develop a pipeline for the health professional programs to raise awareness and generate interest among the next generation of health professionals, particularly in rural areas, through community outreach in elementary schools and with local colleges. 3. Expand community outreach programs to include both medical and oral health screenings as part of IPE/C with KCU medical and dental students. 4. Implement community partnerships for expanded capacity to provide health education and access to care programs for vulnerable, underserved, and rural communities. Population Served: The HWI will serve all residents in the 125-mile radius catchment area around the Joplin campus, with an emphasis on individuals in vulnerable, underserved, and rural communities. Project Partners: Missouri Southern State University (MSSU), Score 1 for Health, Freeman Neosho Hospital, Neosho Public Schools, and Access Health Center.
