Orion Initiative
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Pediatric EMS training. Physician recruitment and retention. Training in specialty fields.
The Orion Initiative improves health in rural communities by investing in the transformative power of partnership between frontline rural providers and the academic medical community. In partnership with the Orion Initiative, frontline rural providers and academic physicians are rolling up their sleeves to strengthen the rural health care workforce and support clinicians in rural communities. They all align with our mission to build bridges between rural providers and academic medical communities to move the needle on increased access to high-quality health care in rural communities. The Orion Initiative is a program within the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
🍂 The Fall Orion Initiative Update is here!
There’s a lot happening across Orion’s growing network of rural health care partnerships. In this issue, you’ll find:
🤝 13 new rural health partners across Wisconsin
🌟 Stories from the field featuring our rural partners and grant programs
🏆 Two Gold Awards for Orion’s video
đź“… A look ahead to our October Convening Dinner
Read the latest Orion news and see how partnerships are helping move rural health care forward: https://www.orioninitiative.org/2026/09/21/orion-update-fall-2026/
09/16/2026
Dermatology specialists aren't evenly distributed across Wisconsin. Most practice in the state's more populated regions, leaving many rural communities with fewer options for specialty skin care.
STARS-D is changing that by partnering with rural primary care providers to expand dermatology knowledge through practical training, mentorship and collaboration.
More expertise. Less travel. Better access for rural patients. Learn more: https://www.orioninitiative.org/our-work/specialty-training-at-rural-sites-dermatology/
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32659067/
The Specialty Training at Rural Sites (STARS) model brings together rural clinicians and University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health academic physicians to expand specialty care in rural communities.
Through hands-on, in-person training, rural providers build new skills, gain confidence managing specialty conditions and strengthen connections with UW academic specialists who provide ongoing support.
By investing in rural clinicians, STARS helps patients receive more care closer to home while building a stronger rural health workforce.
Learn more about STARS: https://www.orioninitiative.org/our-work/specialty-training-at-rural-sites/
09/09/2026
Partnerships are essential to expanding access to specialty care in rural communities.
Through the Specialty Training at Rural Sites-Dermatology (STARS-D) program, UW Dermatology and Southwest Health are working together to enhance dermatology knowledge and procedural skills among rural primary care clinicians.
We're grateful to the clinicians and partners helping shape innovative approaches that bring specialty expertise closer to home for Wisconsin patients.
Learn more about STARS-D: https://www.orioninitiative.org/our-work/specialty-training-at-rural-sites-dermatology/
Simulation training prepares EMS providers for the moments they hope never come.
Just weeks after participating in STARS-PPC pediatric emergency training, Green Lake County EMS providers responded to a call involving two critically injured children. Following the incident, participating providers reported applying pediatric assessment, triage and stabilization techniques learned through the program and described feeling more confident managing a rare, high-acuity pediatric emergency.
When rural EMS teams have opportunities to practice these low-frequency, high-stakes scenarios, they are better prepared to deliver lifesaving care when every second counts.
Every marker represents a partnership that's helping improve health in rural Wisconsin.
20 partners across 19 Wisconsin counties and growing.
In the coming months, we'll introduce you to many of our newest partners and the innovative work happening in their communities.
Explore our growing network at orioninitiative.org.
08/20/2026
Strong partnerships are helping expand pediatric emergency training in rural Wisconsin.
Through the STARS-Pediatric Prehospital Care program, Dr. Kyle Schoppel and partners are working alongside rural EMS agencies to deliver hands-on simulation training that prepares first responders to care for critically ill and injured children.
Together, they're building sustainable training models that strengthen pediatric emergency care for rural communities across Wisconsin.
Learn more about STARS-PPC: https://www.orioninitiative.org/our-work/specialty-training-at-rural-sites-pediatric-prehospital-care /
08/17/2026
Kelsey McDermott is the communications manager for the Orion Initiative. She brings more than a decade of experience in communications, digital marketing and graphic design, and leads strategic communications, manages digital platforms and collaborates with partners to amplify the initiative's impact on rural health access across Wisconsin.
Previously, Kelsey served at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, where she co-led statewide campaigns to promote health insurance enrollment and improve health literacy.
Learn more about the Orion team: https://www.orioninitiative.org/about-us/our-team/
In Adams County, the Orion Initiative's Recruit-Primary Care Provider (Recruit-PCP) grant program helped support the successful recruitment of Dr. Rayan Lungba to Emplify Health by Gundersen Friendship Area Hospital.
In this video, Lori Wittig, hospital administrator, and Dr. Lungba share how Recruit-PCP helped strengthen recruitment efforts, support meaningful community engagement and foster connections between a physician and the community she now serves.
Watch the video to learn how rural communities are using innovative approaches to recruit and retain physicians.
08/10/2026
The Wisconsin Idea is rooted in the belief that education should influence people's lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom.
At the Orion Initiative, we're putting that principle into practice by connecting UW academic specialists with rural communities across Wisconsin.
Through programs like STARS-R, rural physicians are gaining specialized skills that help them provide more care close to home. At The Richland Hospital and Clinics, Orion's rheumatology training program helped local physicians build the confidence and skills to diagnose and treat more patients locally, including using ultrasound and performing procedures that can provide much-needed relief.
It's one example of how sharing knowledge beyond campus can strengthen health care across our state.
The Wisconsin Idea in action. When rural communities thrive, Wisconsin thrives.
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