The Rural Health Innovation Collaborative is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation consisting of nine partner organizations
The RHIC was founded in 2009 with a mission is to advance the health & wellness of the public through the innovative, interprofessional education & training of current & future healthcare professionals. The centerpiece of these efforts is the Collaborative’s nationally recognized Simulation Center, a unique, multi-disciplinary center that was the first simulation program to be accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Since its inception, over 85,000 participants in 45 health-related disciplines have been trained through its innovative, evidence-based, hands-on approach to learning.
The RHIC has also focused its efforts on improving patient safety and quality of care through 360-degree, wholistic, systems-based approach to assessing and evaluating healthcare organizations. These efforts have been acclaimed by healthcare providers across the region. The RHIC’s work with organizations such as the Indiana Hospital Association and Indiana State Department of Health have proven to successfully improve outcomes for patients throughout the state of Indiana.
Vision
To be a premier center for innovation, collaboration, & interprofessional health education & simulation-based training.
Mission
To advance the health & wellness of the public through innovative, interprofessional education & training of current & future healthcare professionals, utilizing simulation-based education, and through the integration of quality-based, patient-safety-focused initiatives to improve healthcare organizations.
Core Values
The Rural Health Innovation Collaborative values its partnerships with educational and healthcare institutions, as well as their willingness to share resources among member institutions. Through those partnerships, the RHIC supports excellence in interprofessional education to produce highly skilled healthcare professionals who serve the public, especially the vulnerable and underserved. We support & value the well-being of our rural communities & the unique needs these communities face. The collaborative model that RHIC has developed provides shared, stable, and sustainable financial resources that support the RHIC mission and the missions of its Partners.
RHIC utilizes evidence from the scholarship of teaching and learning to create experiential learning opportunities that help healthcare professionals stay current in their field and prepare novice professionals for safe and effective practice. The use of simulation-based methodologies provides an essential bridge toward the attainment of critical thinking & psychomotor skills. Additionally, simulation offers participants the opportunity to synthesize and apply their knowledge and skills in a safe and non-threatening environment. We support research & the examination of evidence-based practice to establish innovative benchmarks in healthcare. We value & reinforce quality improvement strategies that make healthcare safer for those we serve in the broader community. We value the role of community outreach as a means of supporting public health education.
