October 25, 2021

So You Don't Want to Practice Rural Medicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many inequities in the foundations of our healthcare system, including factors causing disparate access to care for rural areas of the country. Since 2005, there have been 181 rural hospital closures -- and the pace of closure has only quickened during the pandemic. Moreover, it has never been easy to entice physicians and staff to leave major cities and establish careers caring for patients in rural regions. Fewer opportunities for working spouses, lower-resourced schools, and oftentimes lower wages are just a few of the reasons. Now, COVID-19 has exacerbated those inequities. Continue reading.