Thursday, November 19, is National Rural Health Day, the perfect opportunity to celebrate the mission-minded TeamHealth clinicians who provide individualized care in rural communities. They ensure access to vital, life-saving services in small towns across the country and serve as an important element of the nation’s healthcare delivery system.
Responding to rural healthcare needs
Partnering with rural hospitals nationwide, TeamHealth understands the unique challenges faced by rural, community-based hospitals. One such successful partnership is Logan Regional Medical Center, a 120-bed facility in Logan, West Virginia. The small town of 1,700 people is about one hour outside of Charleston, the state’s capital.
It is the hometown and the clinical home of Lonnie Berry, MD. He leads an Emergency Department (ED) team of 14 full-time physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Through his leadership, the clinical staff has significantly reduced ED wait times and reduced the total patient length of stay by about 10%.
“I enjoy taking care of people in rural communities,” he said. “They are always appreciative of the care they receive. Even when you’re outside of the hospital, there is a level of respect that is unlike other communities.”
Sixty million patients live in rural communities, and they rely daily on clinicians, like Dr. Berry, and hospitals, like Logan Regional Medical Center, for the care they need.
Clinicians who are interested in working and living in rural communities have opportunities to do so with TeamHealth. If you’d like to learn more about how you can make a positive impact on the quality of care available in rural communities, we’d love to talk with you about joining our team.