Mary Amundson appointed to national boards Mary Amundson, an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, was recently elected to serve as a member of the Program Directors Constituency Group for the National Area Health Education Center (NAO). NAO is the national organization that supports and advances the Area Health Education Center network that works to improve the health of individuals and communities by transforming health care through education. Amundson also has been appointed to serve on the board of director’s for the new Essentia Institute of Rural Health, which will begin work on Jan. 1, 2010. Headquartered in Duluth, Minn., the institute is affiliated with SMDC Health System, Innovis Health, and Essentia Community Hospitals and Clinics and is a multi-state, not-for-profit health care system. Essentia Health is a leader in the development and advancement of business and clinical models for regional health care delivery. In addition to her recent board appointments, as a board member of the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network, Amundson has developed a series of national recruitment and retention workshops for the National Health Service Corps. The training is for community-based site administrators, Area Health Education Center administrators, and Primary Care Office and Primary Care Association directors. Created in 1972, the National Health Service Corps collaborates with underserved rural areas and inner-city neighborhoods alike to develop and expand health care for underserved populations. The NHSC recruits and retains caring and culturally competent health care professionals through a combination of programs, including educational loan repayment and scholarships.