Mike Shimmens
Executive Director
3RNet
Mike Shimmens joined the 3RNet (National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network) as Executive Director on August 1, 2012. In this role he works with a nine member Board of Directors to assist 53 non-profit member organizations in the recruitment and retention of quality health care professionals in rural and underserved areas of our country.
Prior to coming to this position, he worked for 6 years at the Missouri Primary Care Association as Director of Recruitment and Workforce Development and nine years as Director of Medical Staff Development at St. Mary's Health Center in Jefferson City, MO. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University, a Master’s degree from Western Illinois University and he continues to live in Jefferson City, Missouri with his wife Mary Ellen and daughter Maura.
Prior to coming to this position, he worked for 6 years at the Missouri Primary Care Association as Director of Recruitment and Workforce Development and nine years as Director of Medical Staff Development at St. Mary's Health Center in Jefferson City, MO. Mike has a Bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University, a Master’s degree from Western Illinois University and he continues to live in Jefferson City, Missouri with his wife Mary Ellen and daughter Maura.
Mark Barclay, MS, FASPR
Director of Member Services
3RNet
Mark Barclay is the Director of Member Services for 3RNet, the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network. In this role, Mark serves as the primary support contact for 53 3RNet members, and the over 5,000 rural and underserved facilities across the country that utilize 3RNet. Prior to working for 3RNet, Barclay recruited for 36 Critical Access Hospitals and 4 FQHCs as the Workforce Specialist at the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Barclay also helped establish TruServe, a web-based tracking system used by State Offices of Rural Health and Primary Care Offices nationwide. In 2013, Barclay gained certification as a Fellow of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters, their highest recognition. Mark has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of North Dakota.
David Schmitz, MD, FAAFP
Department Chair, Family and Community Medicine
University of North Dakota
David F. Schmitz, MD, is the chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is an internationally known and respected clinician who has extensive research expertise in training and retaining physicians in rural and underserved areas, the development of rural communities’ healthcare resources, and quality improvement in rural healthcare. He has published and presented extensively on his research. He practices as a family physician and teaches at the UND SMHS. He assumed the position in October 2016.
At the UND SMHS, Dr. Schmitz works collaboratively with the faculty and institutional leaders to build upon the School’s strong nationally recognized rural medicine program. As chair, he works with the SMHS’s clinical partners to innovatively meet the need for education and training of current and future health professionals to effectively serve rural and underserved areas of the state.
Schmitz earned his medical doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He completed his residency training at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise. Schmitz is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is board-certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine, where he has been a diplomate since 1999. He is currently president of the National Rural Health Association. He is the founding chair of the American Academy of Family Physician Member Interest Group on Rural Health. He also serves the academy through its Commission on Quality and Practice, and previously the Commission on Education. Schmitz is an Advisory Council member for the National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Service Center. He is an executive committee member of the Global Association of Family Doctors (WONCA) Working Party on Rural Health.
At the UND SMHS, Dr. Schmitz works collaboratively with the faculty and institutional leaders to build upon the School’s strong nationally recognized rural medicine program. As chair, he works with the SMHS’s clinical partners to innovatively meet the need for education and training of current and future health professionals to effectively serve rural and underserved areas of the state.
Schmitz earned his medical doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He completed his residency training at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise. Schmitz is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is board-certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine, where he has been a diplomate since 1999. He is currently president of the National Rural Health Association. He is the founding chair of the American Academy of Family Physician Member Interest Group on Rural Health. He also serves the academy through its Commission on Quality and Practice, and previously the Commission on Education. Schmitz is an Advisory Council member for the National Rural Health Resource Center, Technical Assistance and Service Center. He is an executive committee member of the Global Association of Family Doctors (WONCA) Working Party on Rural Health.
Renee Fullerton
J-1 Visa Waiver Program Manager
Washington State Department of Health
Renee is the lead contact in the Primary Care Office at the Washington State Department of Health for the National Health Service Corps programs and advises the Washington State Health Professional Loan Repayment Program. She also manages the J-1 visa waiver program for foreign-trained physicians. She provides workforce assistance to rural and urban-underserved healthcare facilities throughout Washington.
Joyce Grayson
Director
University of Kansas Medical Center, Rural Health Education and Services
Joyce Grayson, MBA, Director, Rural Health Education and Services, has 20 years of experience in both the profit and not-for-profit sector of recruitment. Joyce has worked to enhance the quality and quantity of health care professionals in rural Kansas through the efforts of the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Center and the Kansas Bridging Plan. As director of Rural Health Education and Services, Joyce is responsible for program development and implementing strategies to strengthen Kansas’ health care workforce. Joyce has focused her education on health care administration and utilizes her education and background to address the need for health care in rural Kansas. In addition, Joyce shares her expertise as a consultant to other states who are looking to implement similar workforce programs.
Carrie Galbraith, FASPR
Director of Recruitment
Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN)
Carrie Galbraith is the Director of Recruitment for the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN). Carrie is employed by the network to provide medical provider recruitment support to the 52 critical access hospital members as well as other rural facilities in Illinois. The ICAHN Rural Recruitment program was a concept developed by a committee of critical access hospital CEOs and partner organizations including the Illinois Center for Rural Health, RMed, and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Carrie was tasked with organizing the recruitment program for the network, and has been directing the program since its inception in August 2007. ICAHN Rural Recruitment’s goal is to provide quality; low cost, in-house recruitment marketing and technical support utilizing similar resources as an in-house recruiter at a large health system. Carrie provides technical support to members on subjects including health professional shortage areas, J-1, loans, recruitment trends, contracts, and salary information.
Prior to joining ICAHN, Carrie was the in-house recruiter for a nonprofit hospital and health system in rural central Illinois. She has fourteen years’ experience in rural physician recruitment. Her experience prior to recruiting includes two years of pharmaceutical sales. Carrie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing from the University of Arkansas. She is a certified “in-house” recruiter by the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (ASPR). Carrie is the President of Illinois Staff Physician Recruiters (ISPR).
Carrie was born and raised in a rural community in southern Illinois. She is a Village Board Trustee, PTO past President, Secretary of the Community Civics Center board, and a Mentor for Elementary School. In her spare time Carrie is a mother to a ten year old boy and seven year old twins. She enjoys working out and spending time with family.
Prior to joining ICAHN, Carrie was the in-house recruiter for a nonprofit hospital and health system in rural central Illinois. She has fourteen years’ experience in rural physician recruitment. Her experience prior to recruiting includes two years of pharmaceutical sales. Carrie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Marketing from the University of Arkansas. She is a certified “in-house” recruiter by the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (ASPR). Carrie is the President of Illinois Staff Physician Recruiters (ISPR).
Carrie was born and raised in a rural community in southern Illinois. She is a Village Board Trustee, PTO past President, Secretary of the Community Civics Center board, and a Mentor for Elementary School. In her spare time Carrie is a mother to a ten year old boy and seven year old twins. She enjoys working out and spending time with family.
Melissa Candelaria
Senior Recruiter
New Mexico Health Resources
Melissa Candelaria is the Senior Recruiter at New Mexico Health Resources, Inc. (NMHR). She has been an employee with NMHR since November 1994. Ms. Candelaria attended high school in Hondo, NM, a very rural area in the southeastern part of New Mexico. She attended Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM and has also attended the Dona Ana Branch Community College/New Mexico State University, as well as Central New Mexico. She has over 10 years’ experience as a health professional recruiter. She has been involved with the 3RNet since approximately 1996. Her experience as a recruiter includes involvement with the various state and federal loan for service and loan repayment programs. She also has extensive experience in organizing continuing medical and dental education conferences.
Michelle Varcho
Director of Education Outreach
3RNet
Michelle Varcho is the Director of Education Outreach for the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network (3RNet). In this role, Michelle coordinates education-related activities for 3RNet members and rural facilities across the country including trainings using 3RNet’s educational tools such as the Recruiting for Retention manual, a rural-focused plan and guidebook focused on finding and keeping providers in rural areas.
Prior to joining 3RNet, Michelle was a Human Resources Director for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Jefferson City, Missouri, where she help them grow from five employees in one location to one hundred and ten employees in four locations, serving over 13 counties. The services provided included Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Pain Management, Behavioral Health, Dental and Nutrition counseling. In this role she created and implemented strategies and best practices to overcome the unique barriers to recruiting and retaining providers in the rural health care arena.
Michelle has over twenty years of experience in health-care related human resources both at the local and national level. She has an MBA from Williams Woods University and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia College. She holds a Sr. Professional Human Resources certification since 2003.
Prior to joining 3RNet, Michelle was a Human Resources Director for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Jefferson City, Missouri, where she help them grow from five employees in one location to one hundred and ten employees in four locations, serving over 13 counties. The services provided included Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics, Pain Management, Behavioral Health, Dental and Nutrition counseling. In this role she created and implemented strategies and best practices to overcome the unique barriers to recruiting and retaining providers in the rural health care arena.
Michelle has over twenty years of experience in health-care related human resources both at the local and national level. She has an MBA from Williams Woods University and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia College. She holds a Sr. Professional Human Resources certification since 2003.
Judd Mellinger-Blouch
Director
Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center
Judd Mellinger-Blouch is the Director of the Pennsylvania Primary Care Career Center, which is part of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. The Career Center helps community health centers, rural health clinics and other healthcare organizations recruit and retain physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other primary care providers. Judd has been working in healthcare since 1986, predominantly in areas of public relations,marketing, communications, provider relations, and recruitment. Prior to joining the Career Center in March 2014, Mr. Mellinger-Blouch was Director of Marketing Communications at the Pennsylvania Medical Society. Mr. Mellinger-Blouch holds two degrees from Pennsylvania State University:a Bachelors of Arts in Journalism (1982); and a Masters of Public Administration with a healthcare emphasis (1998). He lives in Hershey with his wife Ellen, a behavioral health social worker employed by Holy Spirit Hospital. They have two children.
Kristine Morin
Director of Communications and Marketing
3RNet
Kristine Morin is the Director of Communication and Marketing for 3RNet, the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network. Kristine leads the development and production of all organizational communications, coordinates and implements all marketing efforts in collaboration with her 3RNet colleagues and members, and oversees the activities of the 3RNet Marketing Committee.
Prior to joining 3RNet, Kristine worked for a public relations firm in Las Vegas, Nevada where she coordinated marketing efforts for clients varying from local firefighters to international artists. She also worked as the Communication Coordinator for the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, where she led the communication efforts for many grant programs.
Kristine has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in communication, both from the University of North Dakota. She works from her home in Henderson, Nevada, and was born and raised in rural North Dakota.
Prior to joining 3RNet, Kristine worked for a public relations firm in Las Vegas, Nevada where she coordinated marketing efforts for clients varying from local firefighters to international artists. She also worked as the Communication Coordinator for the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, where she led the communication efforts for many grant programs.
Kristine has master’s and bachelor’s degrees in communication, both from the University of North Dakota. She works from her home in Henderson, Nevada, and was born and raised in rural North Dakota.