Nearly 3,000 facilities in rural regions are deemed health professional shortage areas, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
However, studies point to several methods that could improve access to care. Hospital associations and nursing programs also are providing more education and training that focuses on rural healthcare.
Dr. Jay Anders has witnessed firsthand “the decline of rural healthcare in America.”
“The hospital where I first became interested in medicine is now half its original size, merged with a larger health system, and struggling to stay afloat,” Anders wrote for KevinMD.com. “This story is all too common across rural America, where health care access is becoming increasingly scarce, and the challenges for providers are mounting.”
Registered nurses, nurse practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses, and nurse anesthetists all are employed at lower ratios in rural areas versus urban areas, according to the Rural Health Information Hub (RHIH).
Anders considers access to care, financial constraints, and struggles with providing high-quality services “a trifecta of pain points” in rural America. He suggested that policy interventions, such as loan forgiveness and increased state and federal funding, and technology opportunities like telemedicine and AI tools, would help alleviate the issues.
Expanding at-home care in rural communities could also address “long-standing access issues,” according to a July 2024 HealthTech report by Brian Doerr, senior vice president of IT and security and privacy officer at Community Hospital Corp.
After meeting certain requirements like IT infrastructure and Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) credentialling, Doerr argues that the following services could be offered in a home setting:
Current and future nurses are being educated at various stages in their practitioner journey, with information reaching them through continuing education or pre-college programs.
FarmResponse, a continuing education program, is designed to help healthcare professionals understand the dynamics of an agriculture-based lifestyle and how that can affect a person’s mental health.
Washington State Hospital Association will begin offering free training for rural nurse managers, charge nurses, and clinical nurse educators, in spring 2025. The hospital stated in a news release that leadership will nominate nurses to the program, which is expected to consist of six to eight virtual, hourlong sessions.
For the younger population, pre-college programs geared toward addressing health equity concerns, like Alaska’s Della Keats program, help students figure out where their interest lies.
The Alaska Beacon reported in July 2024 that a student who attended the recently revived program said it helped her realize she wanted to work with patients rather than focus on research.
Despite nursing shortages throughout the United States, and notably in rural areas, leaders in the healthcare industry are trying to take steps to mitigate low staffing. Introducing high school students to various aspects of the industry and offering continuing education or training programs focused on rural care are among the current tactics to increase interest in working in rural areas.
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