Who are we?

Increasing the number of physicians practicing in our rural communities is a major priority of our organizations and this certainly couldn’t be done without the support, determination, and leadership of our administrators. However, at the rural level many of us are a one-person-office and there are oftentimes limited opportunities for peer discussions and places to get answers to questions…especially since our programs have unique circumstances from our urban counterparts.

2022 RTT Collaborative Meeting - Hood River, OR

To address the specific needs of rural coordinators, the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural GME (WCRGME) established the Rural GME Administrators Network. We are a national group of new and experienced rural GME administrators from RTTs, Rural Training Programs, and rural specialty tracks and pathways programs from around the nation not only in Family Medicine, but also General Surgery, OB, EM, and Psychiatry. Our goal is to provide practical training, networking opportunities, encouragement for administrators to learn and grow in their positions in order to sustain our programs.

It’s easy to become involved with the Rural GME administrators Network!

  • Attend our meetings

  • Suggest meeting topics

  • Send a question or suggestion to the entire distribution list

  • Be a participant at the Rural Administrators Fundamentals Training (RAFT) or Leadership Program

  • Be a presenter at the Rural Administrators Fundamentals Training (RAFT) or Leadership Program

  • Join a committee when there’s a special project (planning our Professional Development workshops, presenting with other administrators at the RMTC Annual Meeting, etc.)

MEET Our advisory board members

Shawnette Alford is the Assistant Director of GME Operations for the Kiran Patel Institute for Graduate Medical Education (KPIGME) based in Tampa, Florida as of March of 2023. Prior to accepting this position, Ms. Alford served as the Grant and Accreditation Writer for KPIGME from December of 2021 to March of 2023. She was the Assistant Director of GME at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center (GCRMC) from November 2021 to March 2023 and still stays PRN for the hospital system. In addition, Ms. Alford serves as a member of the Coordinator Leadership Advisory Group under the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural GME (WCRGME) and an Advisor of the Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

Ms. Alford has over 18 years of knowledge and leadership in healthcare and 13 years in an academic setting. Her prior positions include Human Resources Recruiter at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pennsylvania, Academic Coordinator at Hahnemann University Hospital/Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Residency Program Manager at La Clinica de Familia in Las Cruces, New Mexico and Residency Program Manager at GCRMC.

Ms. Alford was a founding member of The Association of Anesthesiology Program Administrators and Educators (AAPAE) and served as President Elect for one year until she accepted a new position in Family Medicine and resigned her appointed position. In 2014, Ms. Alford successfully passed the Qualifying and Certifying Assessment to obtain her Training Administrators of Graduate Medical Education Certification.

A Philadelphia native and experienced healthcare professional, Ms. Alford is passionate and dedicated to academic medicine. Her mission is to create and sustain residency programs that will provide a supportive, balanced and wellness focused environment for residents.

Shawnette Alford, C-TAGME

FLORIDA

Assistant Director of GME Operations
Dr. Kiran C. Patel Institute for GME

Amanda Castillo is an East Coast transplant to New Mexico since 2016. She resides in the small town of Santa Clara, NM (Silver City mining district area) with her family and also spends time travelling the 1.5 hours to and from Las Cruces for her husband’s job. Amanda started her career in healthcare as a community health worker and then moved into a program coordinator position in 2017.Amanda is excited to be a part of the Rural GME Coordinator Leadership Institute team and is looking forward to working with other rural medicine leaders around the country. She is currently a Graduate Medical Education Specialist with the New Mexico Primary Care Training Consortium. “I am excited to bring my experience as a family medicine residency coordinator to this role at NMPCTC to help develop the Sponsoring institution and shape the future of Family Medicine Docs in New Mexico.” Amanda enjoys hiking and camping with her husband Mark, and two boys, Gideon (2) and Marky (3.5). She also likes cooking, yoga, travelling, and Harry Potter.

Amanda Castillo

NEW MEXICO

Graduate Medical Education Specialist
New Mexico Primary Care Training Consortium

Libbey V. Crowe

KENTUCKY

Internal Medicine Coordinator
Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital

Jennifer Crubel serves as the Rural GME Development Manager for the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education (WCRGME). In this role, she is dedicated to increasing the number of physicians practicing in rural Wisconsin communities. Jennifer collaborates with potential sites to determine their Graduate Medical Education (GME) pathways and assists residency programs in starting or expanding rural tracks. Additionally, she engages with medical students, encouraging them to pursue residency training and future practice in Wisconsin.

A significant aspect of Jennifer's work is her support for the professional development of rural GME Coordinators, both within Wisconsin and nationwide. As a pioneering leader now supported by an advisory board, Jennifer established the Rural GME Coordinator Network. This national group includes both new and experienced Coordinators from Rural Training Programs and rural specialty tracks/pathways in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, OB-GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Psychiatry. Coordinators are invited to participate in quarterly network meetings, an annual Boot Camp, and a year-long Leadership Institute.

Jennifer is also a founding member of the Medical Education Administrators and Coordinators of Wisconsin (MEAC). This formal organization supports administrators and coordinators of undergraduate and graduate medical education programs. Within MEAC, Jennifer has held the positions of President and Vice President of Education, contributing significantly to its mission and growth.

JENNIFER CRUBEL

WISCONSIN

Rural GME Development & Support Manager
Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education (WCRGME)

Anthony Drumm

WEST VIRGINIA

Program Administrator
Marshall Rural Surgery Residency Program

Since earning her Masters in Business Administration, Stephanie has spent the past eight years growing her career in medical education. Her experiences as Director of Clinical Placement and Residency Coordinator have afforded her the opportunity to see things from a student and resident perspective, and connect with them on another level, understanding and addressing their needs and concerns. Stephanie moved to Dover to be close to family and and enjoy the benefits of a smaller community. She enjoys volunteering, particularly feeding the homeless and hosting events to benefit the underserved. She admires Barack Obama as a leader for his calm demeanor, clear communication, and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Stephanie Green

DELAWARE

Program Coordinator
Bayhealth Medical Center, Inc.
Family Medicine Residency Program

I am the Program Coordinator for the Providence Family Medicine Residency Rural Training Program in Hood River, Oregon. We received our initial accreditation from the ACGME in 2013 as a 1-2 Rural Training Program and I have been in this role since 2014. I love knowing that the work I do behind the scenes helps our residents to care for our community. Being a coordinator is challenging, rewarding and keeps me on my toes. Most of my free time is spent with my husband and our two young sons. I enjoy all things outdoors including gardening, camping with friends, bike rides, swimming in the summer and snowboarding in the winter. I also love traveling and trying new food anywhere I go.

Liz Jex, C-TAGME

OREGON

Program Coordinator
Providence Hood River Family Medicine Residency Rural Training Program

I was born and raised in rural Nebraska. I grew up in a culture that valued grit and hard work. I attended college in Minneapolis, MN. I currently live in Omaha, NE. I have been the Program Coordinator for Creighton University’s Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship since 2019. In this role, I also support the general Psychiatry residency. Our residency and fellowship combined have a total of 28 residents. This year our program will welcome two new interns as the inaugural class of our Rural Track program. The Rural Track training site is 30 minutes from my hometown, so this brings me great joy.

I am looking forward to learning more about how Creighton can develop and enhance our Rural Track program. I hope to gain wisdom and insight from those with rural training experience, and I hope to collaborate with those who are on a similar path.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our four children. Our favorite family game is charades, and we love to create PowerPoint presentations to share with one another. I am an audiobook junkie, and I am an avid fan of theology and alien podcasts. I am also a fan of Bollywood films and Korean dramas.

Stef Keator

NEBRASKA

Child Psychiatry Fellowship & Rural Psychiatry Coordinator
Creighton University School of Medicine

Ashley McDonald is the Program/Institutional Coordinator for her Inaugural Family Medicine Residency Program in Indiana Pennsylvania. Ashley had been with Indiana Regional Medical Center since January 2021. IRMC FMRP received program accreditation in October 2021. IRMC jumped in to interview season and filled their first class Monday of match week! Ashley has been apart if the Rural Leadership Advisory group for 2 years. She’s presented in the RTT Bootcamp in 2022.Ashley is a West Virginia native and a proud Mountaineer fan! LETSGO!!! Fall is her favorite season. When she’s not outside enjoying the weather she’s watching mountaineer football. Ashley is married to Greg of 5 years and they have 2 fur babies, Sophie and Lulu.

Ashley McDonald, C-TAGME

PENNSYLVANIA

Program Coordinator
IRMC Rural Family Medicine Program

Kristin McMenomey from Potter Valley, California. Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Family Medicine Residency Program. 5 years as Residency Administrator. Worked 21 years for the County Government with experience in purchasing, information technology and risk Management. Serves on the American Ag Credit Board of Directors since 2020. My husband John and I farm over 200 acres of wine grapes for the past 27 years as first generation farmers. I have two children, Hannah (currently in her first year at Chico State) and Ryder (just turned 11 years old).

Kristin McMenomey

CALIFORNIA

Residency Administrator
Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Family Medicine Residency Program

Lori Rodefeld is the Director of Rural GME Development at the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education (GME) where she engages with stakeholders statewide and nationally to expand rural residency training. She also serves as the Director of GME Development with the HRSA-funded Rural Residency Planning and Development and Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Technical Assistance Centers. Her career in GME started at SSM Monroe Hospital 10+ years ago where she oversaw efforts to develop three new GME programs, including an AOA accredited rural training track. She is a member of the AACOM GME Growth Action Committee, Board Member and Consultant for the RTT Collaborative, Board member of the GME Initiative and Board Member of the WiNC GME Consortium.

Lori rodefeld

WISCONSIN

Director of Rural GME Development & Support
Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education (WCRGME)

Esther Tipton is currently the Residency Program Manager for the Medicos de El Centro Family Medicine Program (MDEC FM) in New Mexico. She comes to the medical profession with many years’ experience in the educational field. She is a former teacher, mentor, and administrator before making a career change and began as a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) and administrative assistant in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). She is well-versed in cross cultural issues and has taught overseas, including Papua New Guinea and South Korea. Esther was part of a team that established a thriving startup public charter school in Denver, Colorado, and was also a principal at a small private school. She has held various leadership positions throughout her career and brings tremendous insight as Residency Program Manager. Her leadership skills, commitment to providing excellent care to underserved areas, and educational background make her especially qualified to serve in this role. She has a Bachelors’ degree in Religion, a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies, and a Master of Science in Education. She has a passion for the theory of Multiple Intelligences, curriculum development, linguistic notions, relationship building, and lifelong learning. This “toolkit” will assist her as she provides administrative support for the residency program. Her organizational skills and passion for learning enable her to “see the big picture” while attending to the small details on a daily basis. During her free time Esther enjoys traveling, reading, watching the latest drama series on BritBox, and spending time with her family.

Esther Tipton

NEW MEXICO

Residency Program Manager
Medicos de El Centro FMRP

Professional Development Opportunities

2023-2024 Coordinator Leadership Graduation - Asheville, NC

Leadership Institute - This robust one-year program is designed around a curriculum to support rurally-focused administrators leadership and professional development. Ideal applicants have been in GME a minimum of 3 years or have equivalent experience.

The current institute will be held from April, 2024 - April, 2025. If you are a member of the current institute, click HERE for documents and resources.

Rural Administrators Fundamentals Training - RAFT (formerly Rural GME Boot Camp) - Held annually, join us on Thursday, September 12, 2024 from 10:00am - 4:00pm CT to enhance your professional knowledge as a RURAL GME administrator! To learn more and view the agenda, click HERE.

MEAC (Medical Education Administrators and Coordinators) of Wisconsin hosts an annual workshop. Click HERE to learn more.

Meeting Schedule and topics

We discuss a wide variety of topics related to GME such as Recruitment, Onboarding, PD/Administrator Relationship, ACGME Updates, Resident Remediation, Administrator Wellness, and we’ve even had a Virtual Coffee Chat! Most of these topics are discussed at many conferences and trainings, however, we focus how they impact a RURAL program.  Our meetings are informal and interactive, and we’ll often have a key topic for discussion. Our purpose is to support YOU as a rural administrator!

The Rural GME Administrators Network meets virtually on a quarterly basis on the first Wednesday of the months of January, April, July, and October.  Our meeting time is 10:00 am – 11:00 am CENTRAL TIME.
Zoom Instructions: Link Meeting ID: 840 4025 5964, Passcode: 799405

2025 Meetings:
10:00am – 11:00am CT

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Resources:

For administrators related documents and links visit the Program Toolbox page on our website.

Contact:

If you’d like to learn more about the group and join our meetings and trainings, please reach out to Jennifer Crubel at the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural GME (WCRGME) at jcrubel@rwhc.com or (608) 723-9740.