Bet you believe this too: rural communities matter.
It was my honor and delight…in fact, this is one of my favorite programs of the year…presenting six scholarships to students in the UW-Madison Physician Assistant Program who have come from rural and underserved communities and are committed to returning to rural and underserved communities. With this White Coat on…these students now treat their patients as practicing physician assistants.
Here’s a bit of my message at the White Coat Ceremony….
Claudia, Diana, Lauren, Lydia, Madilyn, and Samantha—we celebrate you.
You are choosing something remarkable.
You are choosing communities where healthcare isn’t always easy to access.
Communities where people know your name.
Communities where your patient may also be your neighbor, your former teacher, the person sitting next to you at church, or the family waving at you at the grocery store.
You are not simply filling positions.
You are becoming part of the heartbeat of those communities
.
WROF has been investing in rural Wisconsin for more than 80 years because we know this:
When you invest in people, they return that investment many times over.
Education becomes access. Access becomes health. Health becomes stronger families, stronger schools, stronger farms, stronger businesses – and stronger communities.
So as you put on your white coat today, I hope you remember this –
Knowledge matters. Skill matters.
But relationships matter too
.
Listen well. Learn continuously. See the whole person. And never underestimate what it means to simply show up and care
.
As we celebrate our country’s 250th Birthday this July 4th, know we celebrate YOU…and thank you, each of you, for simply ‘showing up’ for the WROF, Inc. Your partnerships, your dollars, and your passion ensure a vibrant rural Wisconsin for our families and our neighbors. And THAT’S something to REALLY celebrate!
With gratitude,
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