Starting a general surgery program at a small rural critical access hospital: a case study from southeastern Oregon
Brit Cruse Doty1, Steven Heneghan, Randall Zuckerman
1Mithoefer Center for Rural Surgery, Bassett Healthcare, Cooperstown, NY 13326, USA. brit.doty@bassett.org
Summary
Establishing surgical services in rural hospitals presents challenges but yields financial benefits. Collaboration and adaptability are crucial for success in expanding healthcare access for rural populations.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Rural Health Services
- Surgical Program Development
Background:
- Surgical services are scarce in rural America, necessitating long travel for residents.
- Rural hospitals face difficulties in providing surgical care despite potential economic advantages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify challenges and outcomes of developing a surgical program at Harney District Hospital (HDH), a rural critical access facility.
- To provide insights for other rural facilities considering surgical service implementation.
Main Methods:
- Employed a single case study design.
- Utilized qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, document reviews, and observations.
- Incorporated quantitative data from hospital financial/utilization records and demographic statistics.
Main Results:
- Initiating organizational change, like a surgical program, requires collaboration between administration, staff, and the community.
- The new surgical program at HDH has demonstrated significant financial gains for the hospital.
Conclusions:
- Launching a rural surgery program is complex but offers hospital benefits.
- Collaboration and adaptability are essential for the success of rural surgical initiatives.
