I had the opportunity to spend 4 weeks at the Sturgis Regional Hospital before beginning the REHPS program. All of my time during these 4 weeks was spent following an occupational therapist, however I had the opportunity to meet a variety of other professionals during this time. During my first two weeks in the REHPS program I have had the opportunities to sit down with some of these professionals and really understand what their role is at the hospital. I have spent time understanding the roles of some of the administration, a discharge planner, PAs in the emergency room, lab, pharmacy, nursing, PT and SLPs. These experiences have showed me that working in a rural hospital is really a collaborative effort among all professionals. You work side by side with other disciplines every day to determine what is the best for each and every patient. Everyone at the Sturgis Regional Hospital has been amazing and made me feel very welcome during my time here. I am looking forward to learning more in the next two weeks!
The final two weeks with the REHPS program were filled with many more opportunities. I was able to meet with various other areas of the hospital including completing x-rays with radiology, spending time with PAs in Urgent Care, and seeing the process of the techs in the lab. I was also allowed the opportunity to meet with the dietician and food services to see how they were able to serve everyone in the hospital on a daily basis. We were able to spend time at Music on Main in downtown Sturgis and provide education on diabetes to the community at the Regional Health booth which was a lot of fun! The REHPS program has allowed me to see various aspects of the hospital that I would have never had the opportunity to see without this program. The knowledge that I have gained through this experience will contribute to me being a well-rounded health professional, and I will think back on these experiences to know what resources are available in a rural setting and hospital as I begin my professional career.