Development of rural health services: problems illustrated by a nonprofit, privately-based approach

The historic development of a nonprofit organization designed to improve rural health services in Colorado is described and some of the major problems of rural health are discussed. This corporation, originally derived from four different kinds of provider organizations, has developed a comprehensive approach to improving the utilization of existing rural health resources and to the recruitment and deployment of new resources. Emphasis has been placed on community involvement, decreasing the isolation of rural physicians by linking rural practices with urban resources, centralizing supportive services and development of quality control methods. The peculiarities of the target area and the evolution of the goals and methods of the organization are described in order to facilitate the adaptation of these concepts to other areas.