This fall, the Orion Initiative more than doubled its rural health care provider partners to expand its workforce development and specialty care access programs to new areas of the state. The Orion Initiative welcomes 13 new rural health partners.
Since its public launch in 2025, the Orion Initiative has co-designed five programs, grown from three to 20 rural partners and expanded its work to 18 Wisconsin counties.
“This growth reflects what is possible when rural health care providers and the academic medical community work together to co-design solutions to meet the needs of rural communities,” said Amy Kind, MD, PhD, CEO of the Orion Initiative. “We are building partnerships that not only strengthen care today, but also build a more sustainable rural health care workforce for the future.”
“We are building partnerships that not only strengthen care today, but also build a more sustainable rural health care workforce for the future.”
Amy Kind, MD, PhD, CEO of the Orion Initiative
The latest expansion includes new partnerships in Orion Initiative’s Specialty Training at Rural Sites (STARS) and primary care workforce programs.
Expanding specialty training in rural communities
The STARS-Rheumatology (STARS-R) program was co-designed by rural providers at The Richland Hospital and Clinics and UW academic physicians to expand specialty care access in rural communities.
STARS-R welcomes three new partners:
The Orion Initiative STARS-PPC (Pediatric Prehospital Care) program brings cutting-edge pediatric emergency training and education directly to rural and Tribal EMS providers.
STARS-PPC welcomes:
Growing the rural health care workforce
Orion Initiative workforce development programs are also continuing to expand with the Recruit-Primary Care Provider (Recruit-PCP) and Retain-PCP programs. Together, these programs strengthen the rural health care workforce by supporting physician recruitment and retention in rural areas while giving physicians dedicated time to lead community projects addressing local health care needs.
Recruit-PCP welcomes:
- Gundersen Hillsboro
- ThedaCare, with two grant-supported sites
- Indianhead Medical Center
- HealthPartners Westfields Hospital
- Marshfield Clinic
- Southwest Health*
Retain-PCP welcomes:
“Rural communities know what they need. Our role is to listen, partner and help bring resources and expertise to the table in ways that work for each community,” said Dr. Amy Kind, CEO of the Orion Initiative. “The growth of the Orion Initiative is a reflection of the strength and creativity of those partnerships.”
*Southwest Health first partnered with Orion Initiative in March 2026 through the STARS-Dermatology program.
