Who Are 3RNET Network Coordinators?

3RNET Network Coordinators are the heart of our organization! They work for non-profit or government organizations. As their title suggests, Network Coordinators help coordinate recruitment and retention efforts within their states or organizations. Their work helps connect health care professionals with jobs in rural and underserved communities nationwide, which is why we often say we are powered by the national network they create. There wouldn’t be 3RNET without our Network Coordinators and the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network they form!

How do 3RNET Network Coordinators help health care professionals looking for a job in a rural or underserved community?

3RNET Network Coordinators are NOT employers. Rather, 3RNET Network Coordinators are people who work for an organization that supports safety net health care. By working with a 3RNET Network Coordinator, you’re getting personalized help from a real person and the unbiased support of their organization. Because they don’t work for a single health care employer, a 3RNET Network Coordinator can support a health care professional in finding a job that best fits them. 

For example, in Pennsylvania, our Network Coordinators are Ama and Judd, and the 3RNET organizational member in Pennsylvania is their employer: the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers. Ama and Judd work with many employers throughout their state. They knows their communities and employers. They also know that finding a driven, mission-minded health care professional for ANY Pennsylvania community is a huge win for Pennsylvanians, so they are in a unique position to share their knowledge of Pennsylvania communities to help guide a health care professional, rather than just hire someone to fill a vacancy.

Here's an example of how Judd and Ama work with health professional job seekers and employers in Pennsylvania:

How do 3RNET Network Coordinators help health care employers in rural and underserved communities? 

3RNET Network Coordinators hold the keys to the 3RNET website. No jobs are added from health care employers to 3RNET.org without the Network Coordinator helping in some way. This helps ensure that jobs fit within 3RNET’s mission to help rural and underserved communities find driven, mission-minded health care professionals.

3RNET Network Coordinators also provide recruitment and retention assistance to employers. Health care recruitment is competitive! Even more so in some of our more rural or underserved areas. Not to mention, the team recruiting in a smaller organization probably wear many other hats beyond recruiting. Fortunately, 3RNET Network Coordinators are there to help. Network Coordinators can share 3RNET tools, best practices, and solutions drawn from 3RNET’s years of practical experience in rural recruitment and retention.

3RNET also provides practical training around rural and underserved recruitment and retention through the 3RNET Academy as well as both onsite and virtual community based training. Contact 3RNET to learn more. 

Is a 3RNET Network Coordinator a health care employer?

No. 3RNET Network Coordinators are different than health care facilities. Why? From our start in 1995, our founding members believed it was important to create an organization that works together. By having a membership foundation that works with many employers, we hope to not only make recruitment easier for these employers but foster a community towards collaboration. 

I have questions about loan repayment programs. Can a 3RNET Network Coordinator help me? 

Absolutely. 3RNET Network Coordinators are well versed in federal (i.e. National Health Service Corps), state, and even community- and organization-specific programs. 

I’m interested in obtaining a J-1 Visa waiver. Can a 3RNET Network Coordinator help me?

Yes! The first step in obtaining a J-1 Visa waiver is knowing where you want to work. Once you narrow this down, reach out to either the 3RNET Network Coordinator or J-1 Visa Contact for that state (in many cases, this is the same person). You can find contact information for all 3RNET Network Coordinators here and J-1 Visa Contacts here. They can share state-specific information and get you going in the right direction.