Jackson - Rural-PRIME, an innovative UC Davis School of Medicine program designed to increase access to health care in rural areas of California, launched a medical-training partnership this month in Amador County. Two third-year medical students began clinical rotations in primary care and obstetrics and gynecology at Sutter Amador Hospital. Sutter Amador is the third official site beyond the UC Davis Sacramento campus where the School of Medicine will train its students as the next generation of rural physicians. “We are thrilled to have this new partnership with UC Davis,” said Anne Platt, CEO for Sutter Amador Hospital. “We think they’ll find their time here fulfilling, and we are especially hopeful that it will lead them to practice in a rural community some day, maybe even here in Jackson.” By 2015, experts predict the state will face a significant shortage of physicians, with rural communities struggling to provide health care with fewer doctors per resident than in urban areas. Rural residents often lack access to the full spectrum of medical services that urban populations enjoy. Rural-PRIME is part of the University of California's Programs in Medical Education, or PRIME, which is designed to produce physician leaders who are trained in and committed to helping California's medically underserved communities. By next year, UC Davis School of Medicine will have nearly 50 students enrolled in the program. As part of Rural-PRIME, UC Davis is partnering with other health systems in the state that are committed to improving rural health, passionate in their advocacy for change in the rural health-care delivery system and willing to become teaching sites for medical students. Jackson, along with the mountain town of Truckee and the central valley community of Reedley, are the first designated Rural-PRIME sites. Students will spend from four-to-eight weeks immersed in rural clinical settings, experiencing some of the unique challenges and benefits that only those types of communities can offer. The students are also given opportunities to integrate technology into their curriculum and training through distance learning and the use of telemedicine. High-speed telecommunications technologies such as telemedicine help bridge the rural gaps in access to quality health care and are a key element in Rural-PRIME training. Staff Report This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.