The Health Care Crisis in Rural Settings

The Health Care Crisis in Rural Settings
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The Health Care Crisis in Rural Settings
Millions of Americans reside in rural areas without access to vital medical facilities like hospitals, emergency rooms, or primary care clinics. If they are involved in an accident, exhibit signs of a stroke, a heart attack, or an infectious condition like corona virus, they may have long delays in receiving medical attention (Adunlin et al., 2020). There is nowhere in their neighborhood where they can utilize their insurance, even if they have it to pay for medical treatments.
This problem is becoming increasingly prevalent among Americans due to the closure of rural hospitals. In addition to offering quick access to emergency treatment in the event of an accident or severe sickness, many tiny rural hospitals also serve as the major or only source of all medical care in their locality, including maternity care, rehabilitation, laboratory testing, and even routine care (Bennett et al., 2019). All healthcare services in the area may be lost if these facilities shut down.
Due to financial pressures from declining Disproportionate Share Hospital payments, rising uncompensated care, difficulties recruiting providers, inconsistent Medicaid expansion across states, the need to operate multiple service lines despite fluctuating utilization, and rising demand for infrastructure investments, rural hospitals are closing (Bennett et al., 2019). Rural hospitals must change how they operate to function as centers of healthcare services that improve community health rather than as autonomous organizations to remain in business.
Working with neighborhood organizations enables rural hospitals to serve residents, many of whom put off seeking treatment until an emergency. Rural hospitals may help people manage their health and reduce avoidable hospital admissions by taking a proactive approach through preventative screenings, community health fairs, and outreach. Rural hospitals may develop innovative care delivery models and share the cost of infrastructure investments and administrative services through partnerships.
Large health systems have large infrastructures that might increase a rural...