Through Recruit-PCP, rural hospitals are attracting physicians who not only provide care but also lead projects that address important community health needs.
Last year, after seven years without a primary care physician, Emplify Health by Gundersen Friendship Hospital welcomed Dr. Rayan Lungba through the Orion Initiative’s Recruit-Primary Care Provider program, helping restore consistent access to high-quality health care for the Adams-Friendship community.
For rural hospitals, recruiting and retaining primary care providers can be one of the greatest challenges to maintaining local access to care. Through Recruit-PCP, the Orion Initiative partners with rural hospitals to support physician recruitment while creating innovative opportunities for new physicians to engage with their communities.
For Dr. Lungba, those opportunities played an important role in her decision to join the Friendship Hospital and Clinic.
“Through this program, the Orion Initiative has created space for me to collaborate with others in the community on developing a dementia screening program.”
Dr. Lungba
“Recruit-PCP was a key factor in my commitment to the position in Friendship,” said Dr. Lungba. “Through this program, the Orion Initiative has created space for me to collaborate with others in the community on developing a dementia screening program.”
Since joining Friendship Clinic, Dr. Lungba has been leading efforts to establish and refine memory screening practices and resources within the clinic. Her work has included developing documentation templates, testing screening processes during patient visits, creating tracking systems for referrals and follow-up care and creating educational materials focused on early dementia and brain health.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Lungba has been building strong community partnerships. She recently joined the Adams County Health and Human Services Board as a physician board member, contributing to discussions around community health priorities and public health initiatives. She has also collaborated with clinic leadership to identify patients who may benefit from memory screening and improve access to educational resources for patients and caregivers.
Through Recruit-PCP, Dr. Lungba is helping strengthen preventive care and community-informed health initiatives for patients across the region.
Interested in Recruit-PCP for your rural hospital?
The Orion Initiative is expanding its Recruit-PCP program to help more rural hospitals strengthen their workforce. Learn how your rural hospital can become a Recruit-PCP partner site and access funding to offer primary care physicians time to work on a community project. View Recruit-PCP grant information.
