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Miles Greenberg ’26 knows the importance of gaining hands-on experience as he prepares for a career in emergency medicine. He also knows the need that many rural clinics have for health care providers.

“All of these Oles need experience, and all of these clinics need care providers,” Greenberg says. “All we need to do as a college is to be a bridge between the two.”

So as a sophomore, he pitched his idea to St. Olaf College President Susan Rundell Singer, who is a national leader in advancing undergraduate STEM education and deeply committed to hands-on learning opportunities for students.

The St. Olaf Rural Health Initiative, piloted last year, was the result of this conversation. The program creates opportunities for students to make a difference in the rural community surrounding the college while gaining meaningful experience to prepare for careers in health care.

The origins of the project trace back to when Rundell Singer attended a St. Olaf Emergency Medical Technician (SOEMT) executive meeting in the spring of 2024.

“During our discussion, she asked us what we wanted to do in the future,” says Greenberg. “I mentioned emergency care and rural health, and on her way out she said to me ‘Miles, you should come talk to me and see what we can do about finding solutions for rural health care.’”

Greenberg’s passion for rural medicine began the summer before his sophomore year. While completing a wilderness EMT course in Wyoming, he saw firsthand the shortage of care in remote areas. This experience opened his eyes to the need in rural Minnesota, and he realized the potential to make a difference by connecting Oles who wanted more hands-on experience with the local demand for personnel.

When Greenberg and Rundell Singer met, he explained his objective, and the Rural Health Initiative developed from there. The program has multiple components, including supporting students in obtaining a Certified Nursing Associate (CNA) certification, hands-on work experience, and a semester-long, credit-bearing reflection seminar.

Ashtyn Bollinger ’25 earned her CNA certification through the Rural Health Initiative this past January Term. She plans to pursue a Physician’s Assistant (PA) graduate program, but in order to apply she needs many clinical hours. Working as a CNA will help her reach that goal while also providing her with valuable patient care experience.

“I definitely feel more confident going into my gap year because of this program,” she says. “It will be really beneficial for me as a PA to be able to see health care from a CNA perspective, and I’ve already gained a lot of experience and knowledge about interacting with patients.”

CNAs like Bollinger join students who are already certified as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or EMT practitioners as they all work off-campus in rural clinics and hospitals. SOEMTs also contribute to the Rural Health Initiative by offering CPR instructional courses to rural first responders at no cost.

“All of these Oles need experience, and all of these clinics need care providers. All we need to do as a college is to be a bridge between the two.”
— Miles Greenberg ’26

Professor of Biology and Director of the Health Professions Committee Kevin Crisp points out that while students learn a lot about inequities in health care during college, the focus is more often on urban than rural communities. He says the experiences that this program offers are eye-opening for the students.

“Need in rural communities is different from urban environments. Some of it has to do with poverty, but some of it also has to do with health literacy, farm accidents, rural highways, and not having neighbors nearby,” he says. “It’s a whole different world.” 

Greenberg, who’s been working as an EMT for Cannon Falls — a rural community 30 minutes from campus — says the experience has reinforced for him that caring for patients is what he wants to do. Plus, he adds, the work is meaningful.

“The community is very tight-knit. There is an extra emotional impact to working in this area, because every time we get a call it is an emergency within our community,” he says.

During the spring semester, all of these students form a cohort and participate in reflection sessions to share their experiences and draw connections between theory and practice. By participating in these sessions and working at least 10 hours per week, students receive academic credit.

Students in the cohort also have lectures from visiting professionals, such as the director of Northfield Hospital + Clinics Emergency Medical Services — who also serves as the medical director of the SOEMTs — and the senior paramedic from the Cannon Falls EMT. They also participated in a book discussion hosted by the St. Olaf Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community on Canary in the Coal Mine, which focuses on rural health care.

“I’m here because my major interest is in teaching and training, and this is a big opportunity to teach, train, and show that there are opportunities for rewarding, meaningful work that isn’t necessarily within the boundaries of Minneapolis and St. Paul,” says Crisp, who leads the sessions.

St. Olaf is uniquely located to offer rotations for nursing students in both urban and rural health care, situated in a rural community almost exactly in between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Rochester, home to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Crisp sees this program as another way to tap into the opportunity this location provides.

A product of collaboration between the Piper Center for Vocation and Career, both the Biology and Nursing departments, and multiple external partners, the Rural Health Initiative also supports Rundell Singer’s new strategic plan for the college on multiple levels.

“Need in rural communities is different from urban environments. Some of it has to do with poverty, but some of it also has to do with health literacy, farm accidents, rural highways, and not having neighbors nearby. It’s a whole different world.”

— Kevin Crisp, St. Olaf Professor of Biology and Director of Health Professions Committee

The plan calls for more certifications that are part of both the academic and co-curricular programs at the college — exactly like the CNA certification offered as part of the Rural Health Initiative. This certification, like others already offered through the Piper Center’s Ole Career Launcher Program, is the perfect example of one of the ways St. Olaf will continue to support and elevate vocational discernment.

Open to all class years, this CNA training is the first of its kind to happen at St. Olaf. It was made possible through a collaboration with the organization HeartCert, which provides on-site instruction to students during J-Term. St. Olaf Nursing Department facilities are used for the hands-on training aspects of the course, alongside classroom instruction and an online module. Typically students would have to drive to an off-campus training facility to earn this certification, and pay for it out of their own pocket.

“The opportunity to complete our training on campus and have it fully funded was so helpful,” says Bollinger, who doesn’t have a car and would have otherwise struggled with the logistics.

Piper Center Associate Director Meghan Anderson, who leads the Ole Career Launcher, emphasizes that the skills students develop and the exposure they gain strengthens their graduate school applications.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to develop skills, get exposure, and test the waters to see if this is what you really want to do,” says Anderson. “It’s extremely well-supported from the Piper Center, from Professor Crisp, and from others within the community.”

As they concluded the academic side of their experience in the Rural Health Initiative, the students presented their work at a poster session during Honors Day last May. Several students are continuing to work at their respective clinics, highlighting their ongoing commitment to, and sustained engagement with, communities beyond the confines of the program.

All of this is possible, Anderson notes, thanks to the strong support the program has received from a wide range of partners.

“It’s really powerful to see the magic that can happen when collaboration and partnerships work — especially in this case, since there are so many parties involved,” she says.