Orion Initiative
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health launched a bold new initiative to address the considerable challenge of Wisconsin’s rural health disparities by strengthening the health care workforce, supporting clinicians in rural communities, and equipping teams to improve access to high quality health care in rural areas.
Rural populations across the U.S., and particularly within Wisconsin, experience worse physical, social and mental health than urban populations. One key factor driving these rural disparities is lack of access to timely, high quality health care. Rural areas have less access to clinicians of all types, but particularly specialty and subspecialty services. Access challenges are exacerbated by workforce shortages, a lack of supports, and limited availability of high quality technical infrastructure. A targeted investment in innovative programming, expanded learning opportunities and amplification of the voices of frontline rural clinicians will address these major health challenges faced by rural Wisconsin populations and create opportunities for broader, more generalizable learning.
The new initiatives will be driven by the frontline rural providers based on their most pressing needs and will include partnerships with University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health faculty clinicians and other medical professionals.
Vision
People residing in Wisconsin’s rural communities will live healthy lives.
Mission
We intend to address the considerable challenge of Wisconsin’s rural health disparities by strengthening the health care workforce, supporting clinicians in rural communities and equipping teams to improve access to high quality health care in rural areas.