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Rural healthcare organizations are deeply integrated into their communities, providing not just medical care, but an anchor of stability that helps maintain the regional fabric. For millions of people across the United States, these organizations are the only source of primary, emergency, and even specialized care. That produces a degree of familiarity and connection that makes these organizations an important source of community cohesion — but that also comes with a high level of responsibility. At MEDITECH, we believe our rural and community hospitals and healthcare organizations must not just survive, but thrive, to ensure the health and resilience of the communities they serve.
That’s no easy feat today. Rural healthcare organizations face unique pressures on top of the challenges experienced across the healthcare industry. Their demographics and social determinants of health — such as higher poverty rates, lower insurance coverage, and a greater incidence of chronic illness — compound these difficulties. They also struggle with persistent workforce shortages, which makes it incredibly hard to hire and keep the qualified people they need. Tight financial constraints can impact daily operations and patient care, adding to the challenge of remaining independent and avoiding the pressure to merge with larger systems in larger communities, which could result in a loss of local services. On top of all of this, these organizations will be disproportionately impacted by recent changes to Medicare and Medicaid funding.
Despite all of these challenges, it’s rural healthcare organizations that know their communities best. That’s why many of them are doing remarkable work to make things better where they are. Keep reading to learn some of their stories.
Mobile clinics, farming, and community outreach: how to creatively tackle health equity challenges
It’s more important than ever for healthcare organizations to address the most pressing issues facing their communities. Augusta Health used their Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to make sure they were prioritizing what their patient population needed most. In response, they’ve launched initiatives like mobile clinics to provide greater access to care and an on-campus farm to address nutrition needs by decreasing food insecurity.
Newman Regional Health integrates social needs into MEDITECH Expanse to advance whole-person care
In east-central Kansas, Newman Regional Health knew that prioritizing contextualized care was essential. By bringing social determinants of health screening directly into their EHR, they were able to give physicians the ability to screen for needs like housing and food at the point of care. This allowed them to refer patients to appropriate resources more quickly. It also gave them data to shine a light on the challenges their community faces, and that data will inform future initiatives.
A Game-Changing Platform: MEDITECH Expanse at North Country Healthcare
When three critical access hospitals in rural New Hampshire joined together, the need to streamline workflows and share information became more important than ever. By consolidating five separate electronic medical record systems into a single EHR, the hospitals were able to share resources, improve care coordination, and standardize clinical workflows. All of that work was leveraged into improved face-to-face patient care, giving providers access to the information they need in the moments when they need it.
One of the largest Native-run healthcare organizations in the U.S., SEARHC serves patients across 26 communities spread across an archipelago of islands. That geographical context comes with unique challenges when it comes to patient care. Streamlining their entire organization into one EHR has given SEARHC the independence they need to operate in their specific context, and their easy-to-use portal has increased patient engagement by removing as many technical barriers as possible for patients trying to get the care they need.
Improving efficiency and patient care with analytics dashboards at Fulton County Health Center
Rural health organizations are always hoping to shift time away from documentation and towards direct patient care. At Fulton County Health Center in Ohio, analytics within their EHR provide real-time data, quickly delivering providers essential information that oftentimes would take hours to compile manually. That efficiency doesn’t just make for a more pleasant experience for everyone involved — it has a direct impact on the quality of care patients receive.
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