RCH receives grant for internship program
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Dalton Shadle
MOUNT AYR, Iowa — Ringgold County Hospital recently received a grant to help with summer internships.
It was announced last week that the hospital received a grant in the amount of $26,500 that will be used this summer as part of the 2026 Summer Youth Internships. This will be the third time RCH has received this grant.
With Jessica Bishop spearheading the grant she hopes it will allow local youth to explore careers in healthcare.
“The grant supports our efforts to offer a meaningful summer internship program for local students who are interested in exploring careers in healthcare,” she said.
Bishop also hopes the grant will allow young people to see the opportunities closer to home in their communities.
“By giving students the opportunity to explore careers in a rural healthcare setting, we are helping them see the possibilities close to home,” she said. “Programs like this are essential to building a strong, sustainable workforce and ensuring that communities like ours continue to have access to high-quality care for years to come.”
According to Bishop interns have the opportunity to work alongside experienced staff and better understand the day-to-day operations of a rural hospital.
“The internship program provides hands-on learning experiences across various clinical and non-clinical departments, allowing students to gain real-world exposure to the healthcare field while developing professional skills in a supportive environment,” she said.
The grants were pushed out across multiple high demand career fields throughout Iowa. Nine projects across the state received a total of $250,000 in an effort to help serve nearly 200 youth in valuable internship experiences across Iowa’s workforce. Some of the high demand career fields in Iowa include healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing and skilled trades. While the job needs rise in these fields the Iowa state senate recently shot down the request to allow certain community colleges to give four- year degrees in these fields.
