Missouri Health Professions Consortium Earns National Award
The Missouri Health Professions Consortium (MHPC) was nationally recognized for helping rural community colleges offer health programs they could not provide on their own.
The consortium received the Innovation and Access Award from the Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA). The award was presented during the RCCA Annual Conference, hosted by East Central College from Sept. 16 to 19.
The MHPC includes five rural Missouri colleges: East Central College, Three Rivers College, Moberly Area Community College, State Fair Community College and North Central Missouri College.
For more than 15 years, MHPC has created academic and career paths in health care through its Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) and Respiratory Care programs.
Accepting the award on behalf of the consortium were Dr. Robyn Walter, ECC vice president of academic affairs, and Dr. Nancy Mitchell, ECC dean of health science.
“This recognition reflects the success of our partnership and the students who make it possible,” said Dr. Jon Bauer, ECC president and board president of RCCA. “For more than a decade, this collaboration has provided real access to health-care education and built a workforce that keeps our communities strong.”
Life-Changing Programs
The OTA program, launched in 2009, is MHPC’s longest-running initiative. It has enrolled more than 130 students in the past three years with a 94 percent completion rate. The MLT program achieved a 100 percent job-placement rate for its graduates between 2021 and 2024.
The Respiratory Care program is in its first year and is the first consortium-based program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
“The Missouri Health Professions Consortium is a powerful example of how rural colleges can work together to meet workforce needs and create life-changing opportunities,” said RCCA President Chris Breitmeyer. “This model gives students across Missouri access to high-quality health-care programs that strengthen local communities and fill essential jobs.”
Each year, MHPC gives more than 100 students in Missouri the chance to prepare for in-demand health-care careers. Median annual pay for OTA graduates is $64,250; MLT graduates earn $57,800; and respiratory therapists earn $77,960.
This recognition highlights the leadership of Missouri’s rural colleges in building partnerships that expand access, meet workforce needs and strengthen rural health systems.
About the RCCA
The Rural Community College Alliance supports rural-serving community and tribal colleges through advocacy, collaboration and research. Its members include 600 colleges serving 3.4 million students across 800 campuses and the 89.3 million people who live in rural America.
Learn more at ruralccalliance.org.
