Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Youtube, or the IRMC website.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Indiana Regional Medical Center’s joint podcast, Rural Health Pulse, continues its third season with an episode featuring Byron Stauffer, executive director of the Indiana County Center for Economic Operations.
The episode is a discussion about the intersection of economic and workforce development with rural health in Indiana County. Stauffer discussed how robust economic development initiatives are crucial for enhancing healthcare access and outcomes in rural areas, noting that by attracting businesses and fostering job creation, the county can improve residents’ economic stability, which is closely linked to better health outcomes.
He also highlights ongoing projects aimed at improving infrastructure, supporting local businesses, and investing in education and training programs to build a skilled workforce. These efforts not only stimulate economic growth but also ensure that healthcare facilities are adequately staffed with qualified professionals, thereby directly impacting the quality of rural healthcare services. Stauffer’s insights shed light on the vital role that economic and workforce development play in supporting and sustaining health systems in rural communities.
The Rural Health Pulse podcast is available for free on Spotify and YouTube and from the IRMC website.
The podcasts include professionals from IRMC and from IUP. It is recorded by students in the IUP Department of Communications Media under the direction of communications faculty member Mark Piwinsky and is produced by IUP Director of Strategic Partnerships Christina Koren. Jim Kinneer, IRMC chief human resources officer, serves as the host for the shows.
The Rural Health Pulse podcast is part of a continued collaboration between IUP and IRMC on the topic of rural healthcare, focusing on issues and stories impacting the health of the region and programs and initiatives designed to improve healthcare and wellness.
Stauffer is both executive director of the Indiana County Development Corporation and the Indiana County Office of Planning and Development, positions he has held since 1999. Stauffer previously worked in banking and developed an interest in economic development when he first started working for Indiana County in 1996.
He oversees the various development activities and administration of the following areas: Planning, Community Development and Housing, Economic Development, Uniform Construction Code administration, and Fiscal and Administration sections.
In addition, the Indiana County Office of Planning and Development serves as staff to the following organizations: Indiana County Planning Commission, Indiana County Zoning Hearing Board, Indiana County Municipal Airport Authority, Redevelopment Authority of Indiana County, the Indiana County Development Corporation, and the Indiana County Center for Economic Operations, focusing on strategies for business attraction, retention, and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Stauffer is a graduate of Duquesne University (accounting-finance) and is certified in economic development financing through the National Development Council. He and his wife, Mary, live in Indiana and have four adult children.
Season three episode one of the podcast launched on November 21, 2024, in conjunction with National Rural Health Day and the third annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference with “A Conversation with Dr. Miko Rose, the Founding Dean of the IUP Proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine.”
IUP’s Council of Trustees endorsed the exploration of a possible development of a college of osteopathic medicine at IUP in December 2022. IUP has formally initiated steps towards accreditation of its proposed college of osteopathic medicine from the American Osteopathic Association’s Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, a three- to five-year process that includes submission of self-studies and a feasibility study, along with site visits.
Rose was hired as the founding dean of the proposed college of osteopathic medicine in November 2023; the hiring of a founding dean is one of the first steps to establishing the college. Rose, named one of Pennsylvania’s Fifty Over 50 by City & State Pennsylvania, is one of less than 150 physicians elected as a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists by the Fellows of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists/American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists.
- Season three episode two of the podcast features Tammy Calderone, administrator for the Armstrong-Indiana Behavioral and Developmental Health Program, discussing her leadership position at the agency, its range of services, and positive impact on individuals, families, and the communities it serves. She and Kinneer also discuss regional challenges and opportunities, including the critical needs in the region, including increased demand for mental health services, housing shortages, the impact of funding cuts, and workforce needs, especially frontline helpers.
Season two of the podcasts was launched November 16, 2023, as part of IUP and IRMC’s National Rural Health Day events.
- In episode one of season two, Kinneer discusses “Promoting Integrative Wellness in a Rural Community” with IUP Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Nick Jacobs, of Windber, cofounder and president of the Windber Research Institute (now the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Molecular Medicine in Windber) and founder of the Clinical and Translational Genome Research Institute, a research institute that is now part of Southern California University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles. This episode focuses on the realm of complete holistic wellness, offering insights into health prevention and wellness strategies developed during Jacob’s tenure as a hospital executive, providing a holistic perspective on healthcare and encouraging innovative thinking for rural communities, particularly when considering the topic of wellness.
- Season two episode two features IRMC Director of Ambulatory Social Services Rachel Grove and Clinical Care Coordinator at IRMC Physician Group Jonathan Hunte, discussing how they work on a daily basis to help break down barriers to enable patients to overcome challenges in order that they can access services and resources in the local community.
- Season two episode three focuses on the challenges and opportunities of rural healthcare with Lou Pesci, director of IUP’s Institute for Rural Health and Safety. Pesci shares his experiences and expertise about navigating the unique dynamics of providing healthcare in rural areas, highlighting the importance of collaboration and innovation in addressing rural healthcare disparities. Kinneer and Pesci also discuss the role of the IUP Institute for Rural Health and Safety in bridging gaps and providing essential services to rural communities through the Institute's multifaceted approach to enhancing rural health and safety, including driver education, improvement programs, and first responder and emergency response team training.
- Season two episode four features Hilliary Creely, interim dean of IUP’s College of Health Sciences, with Kinneer discussing the vital role of research at IUP within the context of rural healthcare, exploring how research initiatives at IUP are shaping the landscape of healthcare in rural communities. The show discusses innovative approaches, healthcare disparities, and the practical application of research findings led by a number of faculty and students and uncovering the diverse ways in which research impacts the rural healthcare sector.
- Podcast season two episode five is “Lyme and Other Tickborne Diseases” with IUP biology professor Thomas Simmons. In this episode, Simmons discusses ticks and the diseases they transmit, drawing on his extensive background and pioneering research about tick-borne diseases. He also offers prevention and safety recommendations to help people stay protected during tick season.
- In season two episode six, Kinneer and Jacobs discuss genomics research and rural health.
- Season two episode seven is “Critical Support: Addressing Rural EMS Funding and Workforce Challenges and Solutions with Citizens’ Ambulance.” B. J. Pino and Reba Johnson of Citizens’ Ambulance discuss Pennsylvania's evolution and current state of emergency medical services.
- Episode eight of season two features IUP biology faculty member David Janetski discussing the critical role that freshwater ecosystems play in every community.
- Season two episode nine is a three-part episode featuring presentations from the second annual Pennsylvania Mountains Rural Health Conference in 2023, including medical applications of drones with Alice Griffith and Erica Tamburo of Airspace Link Inc.; Matthew Capell of Mainstreet Health on innovative solutions to delivering value-based care in rural communities; the Pennsylvania rural health model with Punxsutawney Area Hospital President Jack Sisk; the role of Area Health Education Centers with Dennis Gingrich; reflections of a rural physician with Richard Whalen, an internal medicine specialist in Titusville; “Preparing for the Next Generation of Physicians” presented by Bergitta Cotroneo, chief operating officer, American College of Physicians, a 1980 IUP graduate and Distinguished Alumni Award recipient; and “Pathways to Solve Pennsylvania’s Rural Physician Workforce Challenges” by Benjamin Frederick, director, Global Health Center and director, Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center.
The Rural Health Pulse podcast was launched in November 2022 in celebration of National Rural Health Day. Amanda Vaglia, family medicine physician and director of the IRMC Residency Program, is featured on the first episode of season one of the series, discussing the residency program.
- Season one episode two of the podcast is an interview with Narayanaswamy Bharathan, chair, IUP Department of Biology, and Jackie Sansig, IRMC director of Laboratory and Respiratory Services, discussing the evolution of the same-day COVID-19 testing process at IRMC by Bharathan and the difference it made in patient care.
- Season one episode three features Rick Adkins, professor of mathematics in the IUP Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, discussing the community wastewater surveillance system. Indiana Borough has had a sewer surveillance program with Biobot Analytics Inc. since April 2020. Weekly flow samples are collected over a 24-hour period at the headwaters of the wastewater plant and sent to BioBot Analytics.
- Season one episode four has IRMC’s Dan Clark, director of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery and director of IRMC’s Comprehensive Breast Center, discussing robotics in surgery. Since coming to IRMC, Clark has been integral in IRMC’s successfully obtaining a second da Vinci Xi robotic surgery system. Clark serves as a national proctor for robotic surgery and plays an important role in certifying robotic skills competency.
- IRMC’s five family medicine residents—Nawar Al Janabi, of Baghdad, Iraq; Tanvi Bharathan, of Indiana; Mohit Chhatpar, of New York; Robin Rodriguez, of Corpus Christi, Texas; and Narinder Sangha, of California—are featured on season one episode five of the podcast.
- Season one episode six interviews Clark presenting an overview of breast cancer medical education and care from IRMC. Clark has more than 25 years of breast cancer experience and more than 12 years of experience with genetic counseling. In this role, Clark serves as a breast surgeon as well as a genetic counselor.
- Season one episode seven features Steve Hovan, dean of IUP’s John J. and Char Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and IUP Distinguished University Professor, discussing IUP’s John J. and Char Kopchick Hall, home to the Kopchick College.
- Season one episode eight is an interview with Wendy Haislip, IRMC vice president and chief nursing officer, discussing Pennsylvania’s rural health model and workforce challenges.
- Season one episode nine features Erin Clark, director of IUP’s Speech and Hearing Clinic and assistant professor in the IUP Department of Communication Disorders, Special Education, and Disability Services.
- Season one concludes with a discussion with Katie Donald, marketing and public relations specialist at Punxsutawney Area Hospital, discussing rural healthcare models and challenges, in episode 10.