Stallbaum, Meyer selected for health opportunities program

Wayne State announced recently that 46 students have been chosen for the highly selective Rural Health Opportunities Program for fall 2022.

Natalie Stallbaum, of Ewing, and Lainey Meyer, of Page, were selected for the medical laboratory science program.

Established in 1989 and successfully launching health-care careers ever since, RHOP is a unique cooperative program between Wayne State and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to meet the healthcare needs of rural communities, which make up a majority of Nebraska.

Students selected for the program come from rural Nebraska, know the unique needs of their community, and are dedicated and passionate about their home state and its rural healthcare needs. RHOP represents that commitment and prepares students to return to rural Nebraska and care for its citizens.

“I’m excited to welcome this class of RHOP students,” said Dr. Ron Loggins, dean of the School of Science, Health, and Criminal Justice at Wayne State. “Our RHOP scholars are among the most academically talented and dedicated students in Nebraska. Wayne State is proud to help prepare them for their careers in healthcare. At Wayne State, not only do students engage in a rigorous curriculum, but they also benefit from the close advising and mentoring our faculty and staff provide. We are confident that when students graduate from our science programs, they have a solid foundation and are prepared to succeed.”

RHOP’s benefits include a full-tuition scholarship at Wayne State and guaranteed admission to UNMC. RHOP participants pursue their studies at WSC and UNMC, with the amount of time at each institution determined by the program in which they are enrolled. Students who apply for the program must be rural Nebraska residents.

RHOP participating fields include dental hygiene, dentistry, medical lab science, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy (new for fall 2022), pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant and radiography.