In addition to providing health care for the community, Southwest Memorial Hospital also helps to train future doctors, nurses and medical professionals.

Medical students mentor alongside professional staff as part of their degree requirements in physical and occupational therapy, lab specialties, internal medicine, pharmacy, nursing, radiology, surgical, phlebotomy and other areas of study.

Southwest partners with regional medical schools, including Pueblo Community College, San Juan College, University of New Mexico, University of Colorado, Regis University and Mesa State College, plus others.

During a tour last week, medical directors and staff met with the Cortez Journal to discuss teaching and education programs.

There are fewer and fewer teaching hospitals like Southwest available for students, and the competition can be intense for student clinical rotations, explained Heather Nowlin, director of surgical services.

"More and more hospitals are closing down on how many students they take. The clinical rotations for students are coveted positions," she said.

Southwest is committed to medical student clinical rotations, training and residency needs, believing it is good for recruitment and the medical profession.

"When we have students here and they have a good positive experience, they get out on their own they want to come back," Nowlin said. "They feel if they were treated well as a student, they will be treated well as an employee."

CEO Kent Helwig noted it takes additional administration costs, but the payoff is worth it.

"Our staff makes the difference because they are willing to supervise students, do the training and impart their experience," he said. "We try and recruit the students to serve in our community once they graduate."

Southwest has hired students after they graduate, and point out the rural experience is an advantage.

"Our medical staff have a lot of experience, and they want to tell students that working in a rural community is a good thing," said Helwig. "It is not all about being around a big city hospital, because actually there is more opportunity for students at a smaller facility."

For example, clinical rotations at rural facilities allow students more hands-on experience in different departments and clinics. They also have better access to physicians and specialists.

"There is a more personal touch in rural hospitals for medical students," said Janet Knisley, director of acute care. "Here, there is more one-on-one time experienced doctors."

In the past 10 years as a teaching hospital, Southwest has benefited from dozens of new hires and recruits, from surgical technologists, nurses and radiologists, to family physicians, lab techs and surgeons. Among others, Dr. Robin Page, Dr. Erin Henderson, and Dr. April Randle were recruited to serve in the area after completing clinical rotations and residency programs at Southwest.

"There are a lot of opportunity for students at Southwest, and they love coming here. They tell us that it is their preferred place to be and many end up getting hired," said Meghan Higman, education coordinator at Southwest.

"In other hospitals, students say they are pushed aside and are expected to just observe," Nowlin added. "Here there is more opportunity, within limits and under supervision, to actually participate in patient care and medical sciences, and they really enjoy that."

It is a reciprocal arrangement as well. Students benefit from veteran doctors, but doctors learn from students, too.

"Having students around helps to motivate staff to keep on top of the most current, evidenced-based practices out there," said Robyn Bragg, director of health information management.

"It is a good benefit," agreed Helwig. "Students coming from today's medical schools keeps us up to date with the latest technologies in the career fields. They can knock through a computer in no time and teach some of us older ducks."

But the "been there, done that" foundation of career professionals is priceless for students as well.

"When technology fails, students know less about what to do," Nowlin said.

Southwest also offers job shadowing programs for carefully screened high school students who show an interest in science, Higman said.

"Right now, we have one Mancos student and seven MCHS students participating in the job shadow, spending days observing in different departments and deciding if that is something they want to do in their lives."

jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com