The award recognizes Deaf Smith County Hospital District, other rural hospitals, and Panhandle colleges.

The Rural Nursing Education Consortium (RNEC), a collaboration among Deaf Smith County Hospital District, four other Panhandle-area hospitals, and three academic institutions to reduce nursing shortages, was named the recipient of the National Rural Health Association’s Outstanding Rural Health Program Award for 2024.

“A strong and educated nurse workforce is vital for strengthening health care for the communities we serve,” said Candice Smith, MSN, RHCNOC, CCRN, Deaf Smith County Hospital District CEO. “RNEC is an outstanding example of rural innovation and serves as a model for collaboration among health care organizations and institutions of higher learning to solve a known problem – the nursing shortage.”

Since RNEC began in 2019, more than 100 licensed vocational nurses and registered nurses have graduated from the program and are providing care in their local community hospitals.

RNEC’s mission is to increase the number of homegrown nurses serving rural Panhandle communities by increasing access to nursing clinical education in northern Texas counties. RNEC supports nursing educational opportunities throughout the participating academic institutions’ service areas with a goal of educating nurses in their local communities.

Texas Panhandle Rural Nursing Education Consortium Members

• Moore County Hospital District
• Coon Memorial Hospital
• Deaf Smith County Hospital District
• Ochiltree Hospital
• Golden Plains Community Hospital
• Amarillo College
• Frank Phillips College
• West Texas A&M University

The award will be presented to consortium members during the 47th Annual Rural Health Conference May 7-10 in New Orleans.

The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) is a national nonprofit membership organization that brings together thousands of members across the United States. The association’s mission is to provide leadership on rural health issues through advocacy, communications, education, and research.