Idaho Office of Underserved and Rural Medical Research (IOURMR)

Improving clinical practice and patient care across Idaho’s underserved communities

SHAMP programs are deeply connected to Idaho’s health care needs, improving health care across the state. Through the Idaho Office of Underserved and Rural Medical Research (IOURMR; pronounced I·aar·mr), SHAMP works to improve the health of Idaho’s underserved and rural communities through purposeful integration of medical education, research and service to advance clinical practice and patient care.

Guided by the experiences, needs and goals of Idaho’s rural and underserved communities, IOURMR aims to enhance health care access and improve the quality of care for all Idahoans by:

Supporting the recruitment, training and retention of outstanding health care providers;
Enhancing the quality of care and health outcomes of Idahoans through education and research;
Reducing feelings of isolation and improving the professional quality of life for Idaho’s health care providers; and
Reducing health disparities experienced in Idaho’s rural and frontier communities through innovative uses of technology, the utilization of practice-based mentoring and research networks and increased communication and transparency of research and policy outcomes.

IOURMR outreach programs

Through the Idaho Office of Underserved and Rural Medical Research’s outreach offices, North Idaho Area Health Center, Project ECHO Idaho, the Office of Continuing Education, and the Office of Research and Evaluation, we engage directly with Idaho’s health care communities expanding access to health care for Idahoans.

Doc for a Day workshops take place at the D.A. Huckabay M.D. Medical Education Building (formerly the WWAMI building). Idaho WWAMI medical students volunteer and introduce skills such as ultrasound, suturing and physical exam basics to regional students in grades 8-12.

North Idaho Area Health Education Center (NI-AHEC)

The North Idaho Area Health Education Center (NI-AHEC) supports rural health care through educational programs and workshops for high school, pre-health professions, current health professions students, and health professionals and educators.

Learn more about health care education with NI-AHEC

WWAMI Medical Education Program ECHO Idaho 500th zoom call

Project ECHO Idaho

Project ECHO Idaho offers free, virtual training sessions and continuing education credits for health care and K-12 education professionals statewide.

Join a Project ECHO Idaho session

Office of Research and Evaluation

The Office of Research and Evaluation lead collaborative, applied research to advance health care education, workforce development and service delivery across Idaho. By partnering with faculty, students and community organizations, the office evaluates programs, measures outcomes and translates findings into real-world solutions that strengthen health care statewide.

Discover how the Office of Research and Evaluation is shaping the future of health care in Idaho.

Physicians and healthcare providers working in rural communities connect to a care network via remote meetings hosted by ECHO Spoke to improve learning and patient outcomes.

Office of Continuing Education

The Office of Continuing Education supports lifelong learning for the healthcare team through accessible and interprofessional accredited programs. In addition to offering our own activities, we partner with and certify continuing education activities developed by other organizations.

Learn more about the Office of Continuing Education

Stories of impact and partnership

Through innovative research and strategic partnerships, IOURMR is shaping the future of health in rural Idaho. Explore our success stories and see how our work is making a difference.