Colorado STRIDES Sustainable Towns: Rural Innovation, Development, Expansion,

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Colorado STRIDES Sustainable Towns Rural
Innovation, Development, Expansion, Success
November 3, 2008 Resource Group
Meeting Anschutz Medical Campus - Aurora, Colorado
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Our Challenge?

• To enhance rural Colorados ability to recruit
  and retain healthcare providers as providers
  trend away from primary care and the workforce
  shortage in rural and underserved areas becomes
  dire.
• Colorado already brings a lot to the table

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Mountains
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Plateaus
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Plains
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Sunsets
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Sterling
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Limon
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Burlington
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Otero County
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To Meet the Challenge

• STRIDES Sustainable Towns Rural Innovation,
  Development, Expansion, and Success
• A collaborative program to enhance rural
  Colorados ability to recruit and retain
  healthcare professionals

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Premises of STRIDES

• Amenities and quality of life draw professionals
  to rural towns
• Communities that capitalize on positive, unique
  characteristics invest in economic success and
  nurture leaders provide that quality of life!

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Place Making

• Part of peoples identity comes from where they
  live
• Professionals seek opportunities in communities
  where the sense of place the local values,
  history, natural environment, and culture match
  their sense of self

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Programmatic Components

• First Impressions program
• Rural Entrepreneurial support
• Rural Community Leadership Capacity Building

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First Impressions Goals

• Form a team of locals and experts to view the
  community from multiple vantage points, assessing
  community strengths and areas for impactful
  improvement
• Provide a report to the community on findings

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First Impressions Day 1

• Dinner with local community leaders, to
• discuss the process and to receive feedback
• on leaders understandings of the local
• community

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First Impressions Day 2

• Conduct focus groups with local students,
  business owners, healthcare providers, leaders,
  concerned citizens
• Tour community, identifying existing and
  potential amenities

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First Impressions Day 3

• Compile information into presentation format
• Open community luncheon to present findings and
  discuss next steps

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Anticipated Outcomes

• Increased community pride
• Increased local community engagement
• Increased ability to attract new businesses
• Increased ability to recruit and retain
  healthcare providers

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Colorado Partners

• Department of Local Affairs
• Colorado Downtown, Inc.
• Colorado Center for Community Development

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Going to the Source

• First Impressions is based on a program developed
  in West Virginia. For more information on the
  original, see
• http//www.wvochs.org/orhp/rcp.aspx

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Rural Entrepreneurial Support

• A vibrant rural economy depends on rural
  entrepreneurs
• Location neutral employment
• Local entrepreneurs dedicated to local community
• Easier to grow a local employer than to lure one
  in

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Colorado Partners

• Department of Economic Development and
  International Trade
• Summit County Independent Business Alliance
• Chris Gibbons Littleton, Colorado

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Going to the Source

• Our entrepreneurial support work will be based on
  the Economic Gardening program developed in
  Littleton, CO. For more information on the
  original, see
• http//www.littletongov.org/bia/economicgardening
  /

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Community Leadership

• What makes a good community leader?

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Community Leadership

• You can be the leader you need!
• Conflict, collaboration, meeting processes,
  decision-making, leadership style, followership,
  succession planning, youth involvement, etc.

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Community Leadership

• Our leadership training will be based in part on
  the South Dakota Rural Enterprise program. For
  more information on the original, see
• http//www.sdrei.org/plentysd.htm

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What Were Doing Now

• 8/1 concept paper
• HRSAs Eastern Plains meeting
• Pursuing grant funding for a pilot project,
  focusing on First Impressions
• Invitation to work with partners on a First
  Impressions like program for a large, frontier
  county

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What Were Doing Now

• Writing legislation asking for some state funding
  
• Approaching philanthropic organizations for
  funding
• Holding a Resource Group meeting today!
• Branding the program

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For More Information

• Cherith Chapman
• Workforce Programs Manager, Colorado Rural Health
  Center
• cc_at_coruralhealth.org
• 303.996.9698
• Clint Cresawn, MA
• Associate Director, Colorado AHEC System
• Clint.cresawn_at_uchsc.edu
• 303.724.2480
• Lou Ann Wilroy
• Executive Director, Colorado Rural Health Center
• lw_at_coruralhealth.org
• 303.832.7493