Responding to One Rural Community's Primary Care Needs: Investing in Workforce and Broad Community Stakeholder...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Rural Health Disparities
• Academic Health Systems

Background:

• Access to high-quality primary care is crucial for mitigating urban-rural health disparities.
• Existing healthcare models often fail to adequately serve rural populations, exacerbating health inequities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a model for academic health systems to address rural health disparities.
• To demonstrate how targeted primary care investments can improve rural health outcomes.
• To outline strategies for building a sustainable health workforce in rural areas.

Main Methods:

• An academic health system implemented a strategic investment model focused on primary care in rural settings.
• The model incorporated initiatives to develop and retain healthcare professionals in underserved rural regions.

Main Results:

• Targeted primary care investments were made to address specific rural health needs.
• Strategies were developed to build a robust and sustainable health workforce, enhancing long-term primary care capacity.

Conclusions:

• Academic health systems can play a vital role in reducing urban-rural health disparities through strategic primary care investment.
• Investing in primary care and workforce development is essential for achieving sustainable health equity in rural communities.