Problems with healthcare in rural areas

[shan1997]

What do you guys think are the problems with healthcare in rural areas besides lack of MD's??

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[shan1997]

any responses?? opinions?? beliefs???

 

[KHep]

Payment is probably a big issue. Less people have health insurance in rural areas. The hospitals don't have as much revenue and therefore don't have state of the art equipment.

Just some guesses on my part. I'm hoping to go into rural med...if my husband'll handle it.

 

[dr.doolittle]

I'm interested in rural medicine, too. I ran across a good website a while back that I'll try to find for you. As for problems...I think lack of financial resources is definately a major issue. Obviously, there are fewer people to foot the bills that come with healthcare workers and modern facilities. And the people in rural communities often have personal financial woes since employment is an issue in many rural areas. As a doctor in a rural area, you will have fewer brains to pick when you need a second or third opinion (as opposed to physicians in large city practices).

 

[Heal&Teach]

Not sure if this is the site you were referring to dr.doolittle, but it's also got some good information:
http://www.nrharural.org/pagefile/different.html

 

[KHep]

Thanks for the website; it was pretty informative.

So, would you guys say that it is better to specialize than go into family practice if considering rural med?

I was especially surprised by the low percentage of mental health professionals. I was a psych major and I don't remember talk of that...although it was 8 yrs ago, so my brain's probably a little rusty!😀

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by shan1997
What do you guys think are the problems with healthcare in rural areas besides lack of MD's??

One huge issue is that physicians are reasonable, normal people like everyone else.

When you are 30, especially if you want to start a family, where would any other professional want to raise her child? Probably in suburbia.

The issue here probably goes beyond remuneration, ability to receive second opinions and equipment and facilities available. Sure, these are all factors, but what about lifestyle as the largest factor?

I would imagine most doctors are eager to return to the life they are accustomed to. They would like to send their kids to the best schools, have friends with similar interests, way of life and things in common, and serve a community similiar if not the same to the one that raised them and gave them one thing they are thankful for in life: the ability to become a physician.

Can you blame most doctors? I challenge any other professional who points a finger a the medical profession and calls us greedy or self-interested to pull their kids from school, strip them of their friends, quit their jobs and move to the foothills of the Smokies.

Coops

 

[shan1997]

I agree that getting used to the lifestyle in a rural area ( if you come from a city ) is probably a big factor. Also if you are not from a rural area, getting used to the language is a factor also. A person in a rural area may have different words for something and if you come from a big city and are not used to the slang, that can be a barrier also. I am from a rural area in kentucky and remember visits to lexington, ky and thinking that lexington was the biggest city and the best thing since sliced bread, lol. Most med students graduate and want to go elsewhere not to the little rural areas but there is a shortage and a need for it, that is why i am considering it. I just wanted to get some opinions on the challenges people in rural areas face in healthcare. Thanks for the responses.

 

[KHep]

I have to say that I would love to move to the foothills of the Smokies. Actually in my mind it is more attractive than living in suburbia.

I live in the 9th richest county in the US. It bites. I've lived here my entire life and I really don't want my kids growing up here...and I have two. The kicker for me was when the kids in my daughter's preschool class started competing over name brand clothing at the age of 3 1/2 and 4. The congestion on the roads during rush hour is TERRIBLE. It takes my husband 1 hr and 45 mins to drive 25 miles to work in the morning. What's worse than living somewhere where people are ALWAYS in a hurry and never have time to even say "hello" as they walk past.
Honestly, I live in a community that is in high demand.

I see more family time in a rural area. A slower pace. Real people. Friendlier people. The community has a huge effect on how kids are brought up and I think my kids will find more true to heart people in a rural area. We can always bring them back to the city for "enrichment".

It's kinda funny that you mentioned the Smokies because my parents retired to 20 acres in the foothills of the Smokies six years ago. My Dad's family founded the city in which I grew up (my husband and I live in the same town) and eventhough he enjoyed it here, my parents are definitely much happier down there. It's Soooo beautiful!

Just my two cents.

 

[Sweet Tea]

Going to school at ECU, rural medicine is stressed heavily. In fact we start doing rural med preceptorships during our first year, which I love (I'm going to the Smoky mountains to the town my dad grew up in-- pretty excited about it).

Another issue with rural medicine is that in many cases, you are THE doctor. That means you are the obstetrician, the pediatrician, the family practitioner, the endocrinologist, the gastrointerologist, the cardiologist, the pulmonologist, the emergency physician, and on occasion, the veterinarian. That's alot to handle, and for people who truly want to specialize, it isn't the way to go. You see and do a lot in rural medicine, often without the aid of a new hospital (and the new hospital's technology). It's not for everyone, but some people really love it. I'm very interested in rural medicine, but if I have kids I don't know if I'd limit their opportunities by being in a rural location. However, I could probably compromise and be near a medium-sized city or town. But that's a long ways off.

 

[KHep]

Sweet Tea,

Just curious, what town in the smokies? My parents are in north eastern TN. It's so wonderful. I have some other family in the general area. One year when I went down to visit, I threw my back out and had to go to the clinic where my Aunt's doctor is. It was interesting because I had never seen a P.A. I guess they are pretty common down there. Here in the Chicago area they aren't nearly as common.

KHep

 

[JohnHolmes]

Originally posted by KHep
I have to say that I would love to move to the foothills of the Smokies. Actually in my mind it is more attractive than living in suburbia.

I live in the 9th richest county in the US. It bites. I've lived here my entire life and I really don't want my kids growing up here...and I have two. The kicker for me was when the kids in my daughter's preschool class started competing over name brand clothing at the age of 3 1/2 and 4. The congestion on the roads during rush hour is TERRIBLE. It takes my husband 1 hr and 45 mins to drive 25 miles to work in the morning. What's worse than living somewhere where people are ALWAYS in a hurry and never have time to even say "hello" as they walk past.
Honestly, I live in a community that is in high demand.

I see more family time in a rural area. A slower pace. Real people. Friendlier people. The community has a huge effect on how kids are brought up and I think my kids will find more true to heart people in a rural area. We can always bring them back to the city for "enrichment".

It's kinda funny that you mentioned the Smokies because my parents retired to 20 acres in the foothills of the Smokies six years ago. My Dad's family founded the city in which I grew up (my husband and I live in the same town) and eventhough he enjoyed it here, my parents are definitely much happier down there. It's Soooo beautiful!

Just my two cents.

Are you from NoVa?😕 😕

 

[dr.doolittle]

I grew up in an Atlanta suburb, but can't imagine living in suburbia after spending the past ten years in various rural areas (in GA, WY, CA, NC, Galapagos, and CT). I've got a brother in L.A., a sister in Middle-of-Nowhere, Iowa, and the rest of my relatives live in south GA and MS. For me, quality of life means a small, rural community where I know my postmaster by name, can keep chickens in my yard, and never have to sit in traffic (unless you consider tractors on dirt roads traffic). My plan is to become a family practitioner in a rural area, but I agree that there is a shortage of mental health care in rural areas. If you're interested in pysch work, go for it! Motivation and determination will take you where you want to go.

 

[ilovemed]

Hallelujah KHep!
I grew up in a rural area, but attended school in an urban area and now work in an urban area. I enjoy the amenities of a large city, but definitely want to "settle" in a rural area. I had a great childhood and the values in rural areasare things I wish to impart to my future children.
It's nice to hear another person who does NOT want to live in NYC or DC.

 

[KHep]

Cooper_Wriston,

Nope. I'm from the northeastern most county in Illinois. I'm about an hour (no traffic...Monday morning 3am) north of Chicago.
It used to be really nice out here until it became sprawling suburbia. There's been a tremendous amount of "growth."

If you guys know of any great small towns out there, let me know!

Southern Illinois has a rural med program that I would love to be a part of, but it's curriculum has you in two different locations.
First yr is in Carbondale and 2-4 are in Springfield. It's terrible to think about having to move my kids twice for school, again for residency, and yet again to wherever we settle.

Are you from No. VA?

My Mom grew up in a tiny town called Jonesville, which is in VA.

 

[Sweet Tea]

Originally posted by KHep
Sweet Tea,

Just curious, what town in the smokies? My parents are in north eastern TN. It's so wonderful. I have some other family in the general area. One year when I went down to visit, I threw my back out and had to go to the clinic where my Aunt's doctor is. It was interesting because I had never seen a P.A. I guess they are pretty common down there. Here in the Chicago area they aren't nearly as common.

KHep

My dad is from Sylva, NC (ever heard of it? yeah...), but I just found out I'm actually going to Waynesville NC instead of Sylva. Very similar areas, though. I'm excited!!

And yes, P.A.s are common around here. Even in the much more developed areas of Chapel Hill and Durham they're very common.

 

[KHep]

No, I haven't heard of it, but I'm sure it's great! Congrats on being able to do what you want where you want!