The Rural Physician Shortage

BY MORENIKE ISOLA – There is no doubt that physicians serve a prominent role in sustaining the health of citizens across the United States, and more importantly, on a global scale. Mid-level providers, such as physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs), also make a huge impact in providing access to care for rural populations.  They all invest compassion and empathy into their occupation, which allows them to heal and enhance the overall well-being of their patients. Although their profound impact spreads throughout the United States, there is still the issue of medical provision, which adversely affects certain communities. Numerous medical organizations and institutions have recognized the shortage of rural physicians. From internal medicine to emergency medicine, rural hospitals find it difficult to recruit and maintain physicians of various specialties. Since a significant portion of American citizens live in rural locations, it is imperative to match this proportion with available physicians who promptly tend to people’s medical needs. According to research conducted by the American Academy of Family Physicians, over 20% of Americans live in rural areas, and yet 10% of all American physicians practice in these rural areas. This imbalance poses a great problem in rural communities, since these individuals could be at greater risk for an illness because there are no physicians available to alleviate them.

Furthermore, the wavering maternal health in rural communities illustrates the impact of this health disparity. There has been a gradual lack of access to maternal healthcare, which threatens the health of mothers and their newborns. When women are unable to obtain the treatment and check-ups necessary for a healthy pregnancy, it places the newborn at risk for birth injuries and various health complications.  According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, only 6% of obstetricians/gynecologists practice in rural communities, which is roughly 1,000 practitioners available for the millions of rural women. This is a sharp contrast to the 17,500 obstetricians who practice in metropolitan areas. As we all know, pregnancy is a difficult journey for many women, but it becomes even more troublesome when rural women are forced to seek maternal care miles from their home. Unfortunately, the shortage of obstetricians has significantly affected the rate of maternal mortality in rural communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers found that the maternal mortality rate in urban communities was 18.2% per 100,000 live births, while this number transitions to approximately 30% mortality in rural communities. This statistic suggests that healthcare deficiency contributes to the high maternal mortality rate because obstetricians are not available to provide necessary treatment for a healthy pregnancy or facilitate safe childbirth. The shortage of physicians in rural communities impact several other branches of medicine, such medical emergencies and rural oncology care.

On the other hand, the growing concern for this health disparity has given rise to several programs across the nation. Many states have taken the initiative by organizing rural programs for students of various healthcare professions. Programs such as Mercer’s Population Health Program and the Mississippi Rural Physicians Program train prospective physicians in providing medical care to citizens of rural communities. The Oregon Rural Scholar PA Program and the Rural Health Nurse Practitioner Program are also two great ways for prospective mid-level providers to prepare for careers in the rural setting. These programs offer enriching clinical experience and medical-based service opportunities which emphasize the importance of serving those who may not have easy access to healthcare. Most importantly, these programs were established in order to encourage health professionals to serve rural communities once they have been thoroughly trained. Since it may be difficult to recruit medical students who are willing to be trained in rural environments, the programs offer scholarships and other forms of financial support to cover medical school tuition. This serves as a valuable incentive which will hopefully increase the number of physicians seeking to practice in rural areas. 

Overall, the shortage of rural physicians has become a widely known issue within the medical community, but the implementation of new incentive programs will most likely mend the bridge to healthcare access in the years to come. 

Editor: Sherry Luo

Photo Source: https://themissouritimes.com/24498/missouri-rural-health-care-summit-proceedings-show-innovation-for-rural-healthcare/

Works Cited:

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“Rural and Urban Women.” Rural and Urban Women, Women’s Health USA 2013, mchb.hrsa.gov/whusa13/population-characteristics/p/rural-urban-women.html.

“Rural Physician Shortage Demands Innovative Solutions.” H&HN, www.hhnmag.com/articles/6881-rural-physician-shortage-demands-innovative-solutions.

“Rural Practice, Keeping Physicians In.” AAFP Home, 26 Feb. 2015, www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/rural-practice-paper.html.

“Women’s Health Care Physicians.” ACOG, www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Health-Care-for-Underserved-Women/Health-Disparities-in-Rural-Women.