NATIONAL WESTERN SCHOLARSHIP TRUST INVESTING IN RURAL HEALTH

NATIONAL WESTERN SCHOLARSHIP TRUST INVESTING IN RURAL HEALTH

THANK YOU Thank you for your longstanding partnership with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Your philanthropic investment in scholarships helps our students pursue careers in rural health. We are so grateful that you have been part of our mission for more than a decade. With you by our side, we are educating students across the spectrum of health and increasing the number of health care providers in rural communities throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. Rural communities are essential to the livelihood of Colorado, and serve as economic engines and sources of unique natural and historical heritage. Despite their many strengths, rural communities often experience challenges with health care disparities. We owe it to them to provide the most comprehensive care possible, and we are grateful for your support of this mission. The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to serving these communities and training the next generation of rural health providers. The CU School of Medicine Rural Track is preparing our students to make a tangible difference in the lives of those living in some of our most medically underserved communities. We are working hard to expand a robust pipeline of leaders in rural medicine, steering bright young minds toward rich and rewarding medical careers in Colorado and across the country. In this impact report, you will meet former students who have embraced the challenges and rewards of careers in rural medicine. We hope the National Western Scholarship Trust shares the tremendous pride we have for all that our students have done to improve the lives of those living in rural communities. Thank you, Mark Deutchman, MD Associate Dean for Rural Health Executive Director, Colorado Area Health Education Center Program Office Director, School of Medicine Rural Track

LAURA HOLDER VILLANUEVA, MD Family Medicine Physician Gunnison Valley Family Physicians Gunnison, CO Rural life has always been a passion for Laura, even after she moved away from Crested Butte for medical training. Not long into her career, Laura sought to practice closer to home. Now she is thriving in her community as a primary care doctor at Gunnison Valley Family Physicians. The Rural Track played a vital role in preparing Laura for her medical profession and for helping her build the confidence necessary to serve rural communities. As Laura notes, she never knows what will come in the door. Nevertheless, thanks to the comprehensive skills she developed through the Rural Track, Laura feels equipped to handle an array of stressful situations she encounters regularly as a rural physician. Laura Holder Villanueva, MD Thank you for investing in my future even before I had earned my medical degree. Your support has taken my career far. For Laura, patient care and relationship building are central to her practice. She is well connected to the community and is keenly aware of patients lives within it. This perspective offers Laura insight into how to understand and diagnose the patient as a whole person. Laura explains, for example, that a child could have a stomachache caused by countless factors; yet, it helps to know that this child also suffers from a family trauma or some stressful event. Laura s Rural Track training reminds her to consider the patient s background in situations such as this one.

DAN YEAGER, DDS Dentist Bayfield and Durango Dan is excited to return to his humble beginnings in southwestern Colorado to serve both Bayfield and Durango, and enjoy the rewards of rural life. The thought of being the dentist that the community s parents and their children turn to for their dental care makes me very happy, said Dan. He also looks forward to participating in small-town activities, such as a pie auction just like the fundraiser he participated in for his high school rodeo team. Dan Yeager, DDS Before Dan entered dental school, he lived and breathed rodeo. Today, he is deeply gratified by his ultimate career choice: Dentistry fulfilled the checklist that I wanted out of life working with my hands, tinkering and creating it s a perfect blend of science and art. The most satisfying moments of his job, says Dan, is rebuilding patients front teeth and enjoying the immediate satisfaction they have when they first smile. It s incredibly meaningful to me that I m the first dental recipient of the National Western Trust Scholarship. Your support has helped me focus more on settling into my career, which will allow me to provide the highest level of care to my patients. You ve inspired me to pass it on here in my community I might just help turn some of these wild rodeo kids here into doctors.

Thank you so much for your generous support it means the world to me. ANDREW ANDY HENRICHS, PA-C, ATC Family Medicine Physician Assistant Roaring Fork Family Practice Carbondale, CO Since 2014, Andy has been delivering innovative care to his patients at Roaring Fork Family Practice. He says that one of the biggest challenges he faces is referring patients for specialty care. Oftentimes, the specialists are in Denver, which is nearly three hours away. Many of his patients cannot afford to take time off work or, be able to make the long drive to Denver on their own. Therefore, Andy utilizes the skills he gained from the Rural Track to treat patients using the subspecialists available locally. This approach save patients both time and money. Andrew Andy Henrichs, PA-C, ATC STEPHEN WILLS, MD Family Medicine Physician Colorado Plains Medical Center Fort Morgan, CO Stephen Wills, MD, and Dr. Deutchman at graduation Your support encouraged me to pursue a career that is both meaningful and fulfilling because of that, I m satisfied with the work I m doing today. I find it so gratifying to connect with my community and provide a tangible service for such deserving individuals. Thank you for allowing me to follow my passion.

ELY WALKER, MD Family Medicine Physician Rio Grande Hospital Del Norte, CO Ely is no stranger to the rich rewards and unique challenges of rural life; he grew up on a farm on Colorado s eastern plains. His rural upbringing, combined with the training he received from the Rural Track, serve him well today as a family doctor at the Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte, where he works with his wife, Kelsey Hurley Walker, who is also a graduate of the Rural Track. Ely and Kelsey Hurley Walker, MD, and their son Through his CU education, Ely built a wide range of skills that are crucial for serving patients in a rural setting. These skills have also allowed him to wear different hats to improve his community: Ely serves as the medical director for the methadone clinic in Alamosa, volunteers as a public health medical director for Saguache County, and trains EMT students in his spare time. Thank you for helping me achieve my dream of practicing in a rural community. Your support is strengthening the pipeline for rural providers, allowing us to deliver care to the areas of Colorado most in need. A relationship builder, Ely enjoys spending time with people who have benefitted from his practice. I like getting to know the community and their stories, he shared. I think that you understand someone better medically when you know them personally. With his rural background and the experience he gained from the Rural Track, Ely successfully navigates the nuances of rural health care in his daily interactions with patients and peers in his community.

WHERE are they now? Your support has helped many students pursue careers in rural health. These talented individuals have gone on to transform care in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond, as shown on the map below. The impact of these graduates important work is felt far and wide, thanks to the generosity of the National Western Scholarship Trust. 1 WASHINGTON Wenatchee 3 IDAHO Hailey Burley Coeur d Alene 5 MONTANA Dillon Lewistown Big Timber Anaconda Red Lodge LEGEND High Density 40 COLORADO Grand Junction (5) Montrose (2) Del Norte (2) Rifle Eagle Craig Glenwood Springs 2 SOUTH DAKOTA Spearfish Custer Medium Density Buena Vista Gunnison Montrose Walsenburg Springfield Sterling Fort Morgan Low Density Cañon City Colorado Springs (2) Fort Collins area (4) Denver Metro (8) Greeley (4) Pueblo 1 INDIANA Linton 1 OREGON Klamath Falls 1 CALIFORNIA Tahoe City