Across the country, recruitment and retention challenges are common for rural healthcare entities providing post-acute care. Healthcare leaders share practical examples that have created incentive for staff to join, and stay on, their healthcare teams.
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Post-acute care (PAC) services available locally can make fully recovering from a serious illness or injury faster and easier, setting the patient and provider up for the best possible outcome. This article looks at how a tertiary facility’s communication with skilled nursing facilities, a Critical Access Hospital’s swing bed program, and a home health agency are improving patient transitions from acute care to PAC.
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Photo credit: James Gathany,
CDC Public Health Image Library
Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses have become the most prolific zoonotic diseases in our nation. Because of their proximity to tick environments, rural areas are more susceptible. In this article, we hear from a Lyme disease patient, a scientist, psychiatrist, nonprofit leader, and a medical doctor about the spread and what’s being done about it.
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Money, distance, and lack of education are just a few barriers between rural Americans and nutritious food. Find out how a Critical Access Hospital, a prescription program, and a research project are creating tangible examples of how to promote nutrition and increase patients’ access to healthy food.
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Many rural nonprofit organizations benefit from senior volunteers, giving them a chance to share their expertise and stay engaged.
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As healthcare reform encourages integration of healthcare to treat the patient as a whole, behavioral health and oral care are being integrated into primary care practices around the country.
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There is not one nationally recommended model for care integration, but local and federal efforts support more widespread use.
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By integrating rural EMS with other services, programs in Oregon, Minnesota and Maine are improving patient care, EMS response times and provider skills.
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Telemedicine isn’t confined to hospitals—it can reach patients in nursing homes, prisons and isolated geographic regions.
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Dentist shortages are prompting rural doctors and nurses to provide dental care themselves.
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