Skip to main content

Stacy Kusler, BA
Workforce Specialist

Stacy Kusler is the workforce specialist at the Center for Rural Health, which serves as the North Dakota State Office of Rural Health, at the University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS).

As part of her role, Stacy works with rural, urban, underserved, mental health, and Indian Health Services/tribal facilities on their recruitment and retention strategies and practices. She is both a board member and the North Dakota organizational member for 3RNet, a national rural recruitment and retention job board that connects healthcare workforce to job opportunities in rural and underserved areas. Stacy also serves on the board and is a state lead for Practice Sights, an online survey tool used to monitor retention of providers under a loan repayment or scholarship service obligation. In addition, she is the co-program director of the North Dakota Area Health Education Center, which connects future workforce with healthcare careers and training opportunities in rural and underserved communities.

Stacy also serves as the state liaison for the Community Apgar Project, a research project conducted to assist rural communities with recruiting and retaining primary care physicians. Additionally, Stacy partners with the North Dakota Primary Care Office to manage the state's J-1 Visa Waiver program and to provide technical assistance to healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities on a variety of state and federal loan repayment and scholarship options.

Stacy is a member of the North Dakota Rural Health Association and the student advisor for the UND SMHS Rural Health Interest Group, a chapter of the National Rural Health Association medical student constituency group focused on rural health policy and practice.

Projects

Most Recent Publications & Presentations

Prescription for a Life Fulfilled
Satisfaction through service runs in the Perman family.
Author(s): Kusler, S.
Publication: Focus on Rural Health
Date: January 2026
Type: Article
Where Careers Begin
Primary Care Week brings students and employers together.
Author(s): Kusler, S.
Publication: Focus on Rural Health
Date: December 2025
Type: Article
Full Circle Moment
From the recruited to the recruiter, this year's Community Showcases gave a new perspective to one former University of North Dakota medical student.
Author(s): Kusler, S.
Publication: Focus on Rural Health
Date: August 2025
Type: Article
CEO Apgar: A Look at Recruiting and Retaining Rural Hospital CEOs in North Dakota
A two-year study of rural hospital CEO recruitment and retention concludes.
Project: Community Apgar Project
Author(s): Kusler, S.
Publication: Focus on Rural Health
Date: March 2025
Type: Article
Follow the Rural Med Road
Three healthcare professionals recount their experiences serving rural populations in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Author(s): Kusler, S.
Publication: Focus on Rural Health
Date: October 2024
Type: Article