Healthcare is a booming field, racing to meet the needs of an ever-larger demographic of patients. In many cities, it is a common sight to see healthcare professionals out and about in their nurse scrubs, stethoscopes dangling from their lab coat pockets. However, while urban areas have few problems attracting a large pool of talent, rural ones are struggling to recruit enough doctors and nurses to serve their populations. While a variety of programs, including fellowships and student loan forgiveness, have been developed to incentivize newly-trained healthcare professionals to relocate to rural and under-served areas, more are needed. As healthcare fields look towards the future and brace for the coming onslaught of patients, rural health is at the forefront of their concerns.
There are many challenges related to healthcare in rural areas that are not as pronounced in cities and metropolitan areas. Research shows that disparities between these two demographics are significant, and health outcomes for people living in rural areas are worse using almost any metric. Occupants of rural areas die in car accidents and of opioid overdoses at much higher rates than their urban counterparts, though they are common occurrences in both populations. Researchers believe that there are many reasons for higher mortality rates in rural areas, though lack of access to healthcare is thought to be a major component.
Healthcare professionals agree that preventative care is of paramount importance in the fight against disease, and disparities in access to care in rural communities have a devastating effect on health outcomes. Broadening access to care is one of the industry’s greatest challenges, but there is hope as healthcare education programs to educate physician assistants and nurse practitioners expand. As these colleges and universities accept more students, the next hurdle will be to encourage them to pursue careers in the rural areas that need them the most.