What question did this study set out to answer?

Evaluate the impact of RIFDI on rural health professions education through participant experiences.

May 6, 2026The Journal of Rural Health0 citations

Enhancing Rural Health Professions Education: Experiences and Perspectives of Participants in the VA Rural Interprofessional Faculty Development Initiative

SKSarah KeithlyVA Puget Sound Health Care System PPPaige PerryVA Puget Sound Health Care System RSRyan SterlingVA Puget Sound Health Care System

Puntos clave

Evaluate the impact of RIFDI on rural health professions education through participant experiences.
Conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with RIFDI participants
Analyzed training experiences and program implementation
Used rapid analytic approach with template and matrix analysis
Participants reported enhanced practical support for clinician-educators in rural settings
Experiential projects led to improvements in faculty development and rural educational environments
RIFDI fostered a culture of education in rural facilities, boosting motivation for rural education and trainee recruitment

Resumen

PURPOSE: Rural health professions education (HPE) is essential to mitigating workforce shortages in rural communities. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Rural Interprofessional Faculty Development Initiative (RIFDI) is a multimodal, longitudinal faculty development program designed to enhance teaching and leadership skills of clinician-educators from multiple professions practicing in primarily rural settings. This qualitative evaluation assessed RIFDI's impact on rural HPE by evaluating participants' experiences and perspectives. METHODS: We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with RIFDI participants. Interviews focused on their training experiences and perspectives on program implementation and effectiveness. Data were analyzed using a rapid analytic approach combining template and matrix analysis. FINDINGS: Three themes illuminated pathways by which RIFDI enhanced rural HPE. First, participants perceived that RIFDI offered practical support for clinician-educators in resource-limited settings, particularly among those involved in nascent HPE programs. Learning within a cross-site, interprofessional community of practice was viewed as especially useful in rural contexts. Second, experiential projects spurred a range of activities to improve rural educational environments, including faculty development offerings, HPE curriculum development, and new rotations. Third, participants described ways in which RIFDI advanced a culture of education in rural facilities, for example by "starting the conversation" about the importance of rural HPE and fueling motivation to support rural education and trainee recruitment. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrate that a faculty development program can meaningfully strengthen rural HPE capacity in a national health care system. Investing in rural clinician-educators may help cultivate high-quality HPE environments, which existing literature links to improved health workforce recruitment and retention.

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