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Personnel shortages are evident for a number of disciplines in the health professions, from physicians to nurses. Project CRISTAL (Collaborative Rural Interdisciplinary Service Training and Learning) was designed to immerse students in rural and reservation communities and encourage them to consider practicing in locations that have shortages of health care providers. Students gain an understanding of the importance of working as part of a health care team and address present and future health care workforce shortages. The project was also structured to help students develop the necessary skills to become culturally-sensitive providers. Working relationships among higher education institutions, health care facilities, and reservation communities were enhanced. Additionally, a culturally-appropriate, team-oriented curriculum for reservation settings was developed. Experiences gained from the North Dakota project provide valuable insight into interprofessional health training and health issues of American Indian populations.

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The conversations from these meetings have provided a wealth of information about barriers to providing quality health care facing rural and Native American residents. The Center for Rural Health has incorporated this information into its strategic planning process and has formed several work groups to address issues raised. Community conversations allow organizations to better determine priorities that will be valid and realistic to the communities they serve.

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