Medical Education Network Sites Overview

The Medical Education Network Sites are an integral part of the School of Medicine's mission to implement rural health initiatives throughout the state.

Each of the five sites represents a region of Kansas. Each region has a medical education director, a practicing physician who also works for the school's Office of Medical Education. Medical education directors help coordinate efforts to mentor, train and place physicians throughout Kansas.

Network sites work closely with the Health Policy Institute, State Data Board, Department of Health and Environment, Office of Rural Health, and all health profession schools at KU and other Regents institutions. Activities include support of local medical center educational programs through support services to community-based faculty and learners; coordination of local premedical student recruitment activities, including the Summer Mentor Program and Scholars in Primary Care; identification and development of collaborative practices to become health profession education sites; and assisting communities in recruiting health-care providers.

Activities coordinated by the Medical Education Network Sites include:

• Support local medical center educational programs by providing support services to community-based faculty and learners.
• Coordinate the development activities for community-based faculty with the Office of Medical Education.
• Ensure that the designed curricula are being delivered.
• Coordinate local pre-medical student recruitment activities, including Primary Care Workshops, Scholars in Rural Health, and pre-medical student conferences.
• Participate in ongoing practice and community assessments and ensure that information obtained from these assessments continually improve the curriculum and educational programs of the School of Medicine.
• Identify and develop collaborative practices to become health profession education sites.
• Assist with locum tenens services for a variety of health professions and link these services with student and resident education.
• Recommend improvements to statewide student/resident incentive programs.
• Assist with the statewide practice-based research network coordination.
• Serve as an information clearinghouse for communities to easily access KU resources.
• Assist coordinating the televideo system for clinical consultations, education, and administrative functions.
• Assist communities in recruiting health care providers.
• Assist Continuing Education offices in assessment of educational needs, delivery of innovative programs and evaluation.