Member Spotlight: Lori Rodefeld, MS

An active and proud member of AOGME, Lori Rodefeld, MS, director of rural GME development at the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural GME and director of GME development for the HRSA-funded Rural Residency Planning and Development Technical Assistance Center, stands as a champion for medicine in rural and underserved areas. Additionally, Ms. Rodefeld serves on AACOM’s UME-GME Task Force as a member of its GME Growth Action Group. Ms. Rodefeld solidified her interest in growing medical education in these areas across the country through her initial experience establishing three new academic programs at a two-year college.

This endeavor led her to SSM Monroe Hospital, where she worked in a team to establish new GME and UME programs in rural settings. While at SSM Monroe Hospital, Ms. Rodefeld helped pioneer the first rural family medicine program in Wisconsin in over 20 years. Since that time, Wisconsin has developed three other similar programs, proving to be incredibly rewarding working with partners who are invested in the growth of primary care residency training.

Ms. Rodefeld helped establish an AOA-accredited (later ACGME-accredited) rural family medicine program that developed a strong osteopathic identity with osteopathic manipulative treatment being the number one billed procedure in the residency clinic. This was only possible because of the strong partnerships of osteopathic medical schools, which not only help support the training of residents but also provide a pipeline of future trainees for the program.

In her current GME development work, Ms. Rodefeld continues to appreciate the significant contribution of osteopathic medical schools to the physician workforce, especially in rural and underserved areas. Despite the minimal percentage of residency training that occurs in rural areas, Ms. Rodefeld envisions a future where there is an expansion of GME in underserved areas and the current and anticipated physician shortages in these areas is addressed.

One outlet through which Ms. Rodefeld works to further her collaboration is through the AOGME community. It is here that Ms. Rodefeld can share information and best practices that impact both osteopathic medical students and residents. Particularly, Ms. Rodefeld finds the monthly AOGME membership discussions and webinars to be incredibly valuable to her GME career development. AOGME has been a great platform to build a network of colleagues across the country in different specialties and areas of expertise.

Further engaging with AOGME, Ms. Rodefeld facilitated AOGME’s first GME Development Institute: Strategies to Advance GME Growth in Medically Underserved Rural and Urban Areas in June. Earlier this month, Ms. Rodefeld, alongside Emily Hawes, PharmD, presented a webinar on identifying prime hospitals for rural residency development, considerations for GME development and tools to grow and support new GME program development in rural areas.

To those looking to start their careers in academic medicine and GME, Ms. Rodefeld encourages engaging in opportunities to learn and grow from others. There are many opportunities to build a strong network and seek out mentors to provide support and guidance. Whether through AOGME or residents of the local community, as said by Ms. Rodefeld, we are stronger through partnerships and collaborations.

True to her passion for the rural community, when she is not busy championing GME development, Ms. Rodefeld can be found outdoors running, hiking, boating or downhill skiing. Keep a particular eye out for her in the mountains out west in Utah and Colorado. AOGME is glad to have Ms. Lori Rodefeld as a member of our community and supports her in her future endeavors.