Rural Track Program

Welcome to the Rural Track Program at Creighton University

This new program is a fully accredited three-year Internal Medicine Program based in Omaha, Nebraska and Kearney, Nebraska.

At the completion of training, residents are Board eligible by the ABIM and a pathway to fellowship training, academic medicine or practice opportunities.

Rural Track Program - Jennifer Meyfeldt, MD

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What is the Rural Track Program?

Several studies have demonstrated that rural communities are underserved by the medical community. Nebraska, as a state with a majority of rural communities, is no exception. Creighton University wishes to expand their role and responsibility in providing medical education to these rural communities by creating a Rural Track Program. Competence in rural medicine requires special training only found by hands on experience in a rural community.

Rural communities are challenged in attracting quality physicians to practice. The reasons are many. One common theme is that many physicians feel professionally isolated and many would have to relocate to an unfamiliar community with limited resources. Rural Track Programs have demonstrated the ability to attract and retain physicians to these rural communities. Studies have shown that physicians that train in these communities tend to stay and practice in those communities.

Where is Kearney, Nebraska?

Kearney and surrounding communities is located in central south Nebraska approximately 180 miles west of Omaha, Nebraska. Kearney is home to the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the corporate headquarters of national retailer The Buckle.

Kearney is located along I-80 and is the hub of several farming communities. Land marks include The Arch which straddles I-80, a monument as a Gateway to the West.

Where is Kearney Nebraska?

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CHI Good Samaritan Hospital

Good Samaritan will serve as the primary location for the Rural Track.

“At CHI Health Good Samaritan in Kearney, Neb., our mission revolves around serving others. It’s the cornerstone of everything we do – every interaction, every innovation, every single day. We’re not just treating illnesses, we’re healing body, mind and spirit. Established by the Sisters of the St. Francis in 1924, Good Samaritan is a 268-bed regional referral center in Kearney, Nebraska. Our location in the region is the key: Travelers along a busy stretch of Interstate 80, as well as rural Nebraskans and Kansans are able to find nearly every level of care at Good Samaritan without traveling hundreds of more miles to larger metropolitan areas.

At Good Samaritan, you’ll find an advanced level trauma center that also offers AirCare emergency helicopter transport and an ambulance program providing long distance and local 911 service. Among our many other services are cardiac care including open-heart surgery, a level II neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally accredited cancer center, comprehensive neurosurgery, advanced orthopedic program, and inpatient and outpatient mental health services at our free-standing Richard Young Behavioral Health facility.”

- CHI Good Samaritan Hospital

Our Mission and Goals

Mission

The Rural Care track at Creighton will graduate highly skilled and competent General Internists who will provide excellent care to our patients in the rural or urban setting.

Goals

New and innovative delivery systems to improve patient care and ease of practice
Provide state of the art care in a rural setting
Leadership QI and Scholarly training
Establish continuity clinic sites in the rural setting
An excellent continuity clinic experience
Train alongside Internists in the inpatient and outpatient settings in a rural practice
Cultivate the desire to live, work and raise families in rural areas of the country
Unique opportunity to practice procedural skills that are often deferred to subspecialty-trained physicians in the urban setting

The Curriculum

Year 1

Site 1= Bergan Mercy, Omaha

Year 1	1	2	3	4	5	6
SITE	1	1	1	1	1	1
ROTATION NAME	Endocrine	Hospital Medicine Service	Palliative/Geri	Infectious Disease	Hem/Onc	Night Float
% INPATIENT	50	100	90	70	30	100
% OUTPATIENT	40		0	20	70	0
% RESEARCH	10		10

Year 1	7	8	9	10	11	12
SITE	1	1	1	1	1	1
ROTATION NAME	Hospital Medicine Service	Hospital Medicine Service	Rheum	Hospital Medicine Service	Cardiology	Pulmonary/Critical Care
% INPATIENT	100	100	10	100	90	100
% OUTPATIENT			80		0
% RESEARCH			10		10

Year 2

Site 4= Good Samaritan, Kearney

Year 2	1	2	3	4	5	6
SITE	1	1	1	1	4	4
ROTATION NAME	Elective	Pulmonary/Critical Care	Elective	Night Float	Hospital Medicine Service	Cardiology
% INPATIENT		100		100	75	60
% OUTPATIENT					25	40
% RESEARCH

Year 2	7	8	9	10	11	12
SITE	4	4	4	4	4	4
ROTATION NAME	Elective	Pulmonary/Critical Care	Nephrology	Hospital Medicine Service	Elective	Tele-Infectious Disease
% INPATIENT		100	50	75		90
% OUTPATIENT			40	25
% RESEARCH			10			10

Year 3

Year 3	1	2	3	4	5	6
SITE	4	4	4	4	4	4
ROTATION NAME	Gastroenterology	Hospital Medicine Service	Elective	Pulmonary/Critical Care	Neurology	Pulmonary
% INPATIENT	60	75		100	70	40
% OUTPATIENT	30	25			20	50
% RESEARCH	10				10	10

Year 3	7	8	9	10	11	12
SITE	4	4	4	4	4	4
ROTATION NAME	Elective	Elective	Hospital Medicine Service	Elective	Elective	Elective
%INPATIENT			75
% OUTPATIENT		50	25
% RESEARCH

Site:

CUMC Bergan, Site Director: Mohsin Mirza
VAMC, Site Director: Jaya Gupta
Immanuel, Site Director: -
Good Samaritan, Kearney NE, Site Director: Abubakar Tauseef IP Site Director, Bhavish Aubelaauk OP Site Director

Elective: Residents choose between:

Emergency Room
Primary Care

Academics

For all tracks:

Opportunity for research
Quality Improvement projects
Wednesday afternoon educational sessions
Ambulatory topics prior to each continuity clinic
Opportunity to join American College of Physicians (ACP) and/or Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM)

Continuity Clinics