Empowering Massachusetts' Rural Communities: Workforce Training Program Tackles Health Workforce Challenges
Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program a Major Success, Surpassing Project Expectations by Training Over 100 in First Two Years
[Barnstable County, MA] April 1, 2025—The New England Rural Health Association (NERHA) proudly announces the success of its transformative Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network (RPHWTN) initiative in Massachusetts. Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Federal Office of Rural Health Policy and led by NERHA, this three-year program addresses critical workforce shortages and advances health access in rural communities across the state.
Through a collaborative effort spanning three rural Area Health Education Center regions—the Cape & Islands, Franklin County, and Berkshire County—this program is creating a pipeline of skilled Community Health Workers (CHWs) to meet the growing healthcare needs of the state’s rural communities. By leveraging resources across the state and working with key clinical and educational partners, the program equips current and future CHWs with the tools they need to deliver essential services while fostering a workforce to provide services across many languages and cultures.
“Community Health Workers are the backbone of community-based healthcare delivery,” said Stephen McLeod, Director of Cape & Islands Area Health Education Center. “This program is breaking down barriers to care. It's creating access to health care education, expanding career pathways, and increasing local job opportunities for individuals who are too often overlooked. It’s not just about healthcare—it’s about economic development and making a meaningful impact on the communities and residents we serve, one neighborhood at a time.”
Key Highlights of the RPHWTN Program:
Targeted Training: Cape Cod Community College and Berkshire Community College have developed flexible, multilingual training curricula, offering both in-person and distance learning opportunities. Courses include cross-training in billing and coding, electronic health record support, service coordination, peer recovery support, and more.
Innovative Recruitment: The program recruits trainees from non-traditional communities, including tourism, agriculture, fishing, and other rural industries. These efforts not only diversify the workforce but also ensure that services reach those most isolated by language, culture, and economic barriers.
Comprehensive Support: All trainees, including those still learning the English language, are eligible for financial scholarships, which reduce economic barriers and incentivize program completion.
Ongoing Workforce Development: In addition to training new CHWs, the program provides upskilling opportunities for current workers, strengthening the existing healthcare workforce and creating clear pathways for career advancement.
Since its launch, the program has exceeded expectations, training more than 100 students annually and enhancing healthcare access across rural Massachusetts. Partners, including Outer Cape Health Services, Baystate Franklin Medical Center, Community Health Programs of Berkshire County, Volunteers in Medicine, and Outer Cape Community Solutions, have been instrumental in tailoring the program to meet local community needs.
“This initiative is a game-changer for rural healthcare in Massachusetts,” said Ann Marie Day, Chief Operating Officer of NERHA. “By building capacity and addressing workforce gaps, we’re ensuring that the most vulnerable among us have increased access to compassionate, high-quality care.”
With the program's overwhelming success over the first two years, the RPHWTN program is poised to serve as a model for rural health workforce development across New England. By the time the funding period ends in July 2026, the program plans to expand operations by working with a broader group of community partners and pursuing new funding avenues from public and private foundation sources.
For more information about this program or to learn about opportunities to participate, please contact Kiara Badillo, kiara@newenglandrha.org.
