06/11/2026
The scholars traveled either to Lumberton or Wilmington to work in teams on a community-defined quality improvement project. For Bestmann-Smith, working with UNC Health Southeastern was a turning point.
Her team conducted interviews with the cardiology clinic’s staff, patients and others in the community to understand the root causes that hinder patient retention and continuity of care.
“Realizing that to get to our shared goal — understand the problem and find a solution — we need to know who to ask in the room,” said Bestmann-Smith. “It became clear just how essential interprofessional collaboration is to meeting the unique needs of rural communities.”
Carolina, UNC Pembroke and UNC Wilmington collaborate on this program to address the state’s health workforce shortage.