Farm Credit East Honors New England Rural Health Association with Lipinski Award for Rural Public Health Workforce Program
Grant to Expand Career Pathways, Promote Economic Growth, and Improve Health Access in Rural New England
[Barnstable County, MA] — May 19, 2025 — The New England Rural Health Association (NERHA) is honored to announce it has been awarded one of this year’s two Lipinski Rural Initiatives Awards by Farm Credit East in recognition of its groundbreaking Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network (RPHWTN) program. This award will directly support program expansion and innovation aimed at strengthening the rural health workforce across New England.
The Lipinski Award, named in honor of former Farm Credit East CEO Bill Lipinski, celebrates initiatives that fuel rural vitality through community development, education, and economic opportunity. With this award, NERHA and its partners will deepen their mission to address critical healthcare workforce shortages while supporting job growth and economic resilience in rural areas.
“This award validates our belief that workforce development is not just a healthcare issue, it’s an economic development strategy,” said Ann Marie Day, Chief Operating Officer of NERHA. “With Farm Credit East’s support, we’re expanding a proven program that changes lives at the local, community level by creating jobs, advancing careers in healthcare, and revitalizing underserved rural communities.”
Use of Funds and Community Impact:
The Lipinski Award funding will be used to enhance program activities such as:
Expand training capacity by expanding access to CHW learning opportunities throughout Massachusetts in collaboration with new Area Health Education Center (AHEC) partners;
Launch new digital learning modules in telehealth, worker outreach, and mental health capabilities, with additional language support for trainees who are learning English;
Provide additional scholarships and stipends to low-income trainees and non-traditional students with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities;
Support career mentorship and job placement services, connecting trainees with local employers, health providers, and social service agencies.
“Community Health Workers are essential connectors between care systems and rural residents,” said David Lane, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Initiatives at Farm Credit East. “We at Farm Credit East are honored to award the New England Rural Healthcare Association with a Lipinski Award, and we look forward to watching the workforce training program's continued success in improving the lives of rural residents throughout New England.
Economic Development Outcomes:
In addition to improving health outcomes, the RPHWTN program drives local economic growth by:
Creating jobs in rural communities that face chronic underemployment;
Strengthening rural health organizations by contributing more well-trained workers to increase access to a skilled healthcare workforce;
Boosting educational attainment among adults in historically underserved communities.
Since launching in 2023, the program has already trained over 200 Community Health Workers in Massachusetts and done outreach to over 50 rural employers, resulting in more job opportunities and launching new career paths among program participants. The Lipinski Award will accelerate these outcomes and help replicate the model across the region, with plans to expand the program in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
A Model for Rural America:
NERHA’s RPHWTN program is nationally recognized as a scalable solution for rural health workforce gaps. With the support of Farm Credit East, it will continue to empower rural residents with training, purpose, and pathways to meaningful careers while uplifting the economic and social fabric of the communities they call home.
For more information about this program or to learn about opportunities to participate, please contact Kiara Badillo at kiara@newenglandrha.org.
