Westat research will be presented at AcademyHealth’s 2025 Annual Research Meeting, which will be held June 7-10, 2025, in Minneapolis, MN. This meeting is an important venue for experts to share their findings on our health system, how it works, and opportunities to improve it.
On Sunday, June 8, at 3:00 pm (ET) Westat partner Karen Donelan, ScD, EdM, of Brandeis University, will present findings from a comprehensive evaluation of the Nurse Corps program during the Innovations and Challenges in Rural Health Workforce Development panel. Authors of the paper, “Nurse Corps Participant Retention in Rural Areas, Medically Underserved Communities, and Schools of Nursing,” also include Westat’s Jennifer Nooney, PhD, Nina Kreiger, MPH, Natalie Teixeira Bailey, MPH, Brandon Hesgrove, PhD, Helen Liu, Kelly Daley, PhD, and Jessica Kirchner, MA, as well as Stephanie Ziomek, MA, and Hayden Kepley, PhD, of the National Center for Workforce Analysis, Bureau of Health Research, of the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA).
Their analysis examines the long-term retention of program participants in rural areas, medically underserved communities, and schools of nursing. Results indicate that over 80% of alumni remain in these settings post-service, with job satisfaction emerging as a key predictor of continued service. The session will provide valuable insights into workforce sustainability and the effectiveness of the Nurse Corps program.