The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) in conjunction with the Town of Manteo Healthcare Task Force is happy to announce the formation of a Preceptor Hub in Dare County. Initially, the Hub will be a partnership between the Manteo Community Health Center in Manteo, Engelhard, and Ocracoke, the town of Manteo, and the NCMS. Additional medical practices with preceptors will be added in the future. UNC-Chapel Hill, Campbell University, Elon University, and Wake Forest University will send students to the Hub.
A Preceptor Hub is a community of experienced medical practitioners who supervise medical students, providing training and clinical education. They provide the experiential part of the curriculum by helping student physicians gain clinical medical knowledge by caring for real patients. They add to the number of healthcare workers in the region, thereby relieving the burden on existing practices. They also add to the quality of care in rural
The Preceptor Hub in Dare County comes after Outer Banks Medical Group told more than 2,400 patients that it would no longer provide services due to practitioner retirements, resignations or temporary providers not renewing their contracts.
NCMS Vice President Franklin Walker has been instrumental in the formation of the hub, working for more than two years to bring help to the people of Dare County.
Walker says, “The North Carolina Medical Society takes its commitment to the health of North Carolinians very seriously. This Preceptor Hub is a chance for us to bring our expertise and experience to a part of the state that needs quality healthcare. Through our Community Practitioner Program, we place physicians and PAs in underserved areas and improve access to care. We are very excited to help the people of Dare County.”
Joe Rockenstein, CEO of Manteo Community Health Center adds, “We must preserve the future of healthcare by embracing the precepting of the present. With this program, we hope to do that for all the communities we serve in eastern North Carolina.”
Town of Manteo Healthcare Task Force Chairman Malcolm Fearing stated, “Nearly two years ago, our community was in a state of crisis because we had thousands of community members who lost their access to healthcare. We cast a wide net looking for resources to assist our community. Mr. Walker and the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation have been alongside us in the trenches helping to find sustainable solutions to build our provider network for patient care. This preceptorship program will allow students to hone their skills here on the Outer Banks. We are confident that we will prove to them that we all know this is an amazing place to live, work, and raise a family. We are tremendously grateful to have this kind of program coming to Dare County.”