Miles to Care: Addressing Rural Healthcare Disparities

Authored by: Lexi Waite

Art by: Eileen Cho

Imagine a cattle farmer in a rural community working in the fields, when they suddenly suffer a medical emergency. An ambulance rushes the farmer to the nearest hospital, but the facility lacks the resources for proper treatment. Now the question becomes: can medical staff arrange a transfer to a more equipped facility in time? While extreme, this scenario highlights the current disparities that exist between urban and rural healthcare centers due to gaps in healthcare access leaving many essential populations vulnerable. 

Rural populations face limited access to healthcare due to geographical limitations, staffing shortages, and funding constraints. Proper access to healthcare combines a person's ability to identify, find, and use healthcare services to have their needs met [1]. One critical factor that affects healthcare access is staffing problems. In rural hospitals, 65% of providers reported experiencing “a great deal” of job stress, and approximately 33% reported burnout. Greater job stress was also associated with reduced job satisfaction, increased stress, and a chaotic work environment [2]. In addition to the impact burnout has on physicians and the quality of care they can provide, rural settings also struggle with recruiting new staff. Currently, 20% of Americans live in rural areas, but only 9% of physicians practice in these areas, and this issue is further exacerbated as a large number of these physicians are reaching retirement age. Medical students from rural areas are the most likely to return to rural areas to practice, though in recent years, this has been declining [3]. Together, these issues compound, which may lead to reduced quality of care or increased rates of leaving rural settings, along with greater difficulties in recruiting more staff. These challenges go hand in hand, contributing to decreased access and quality of healthcare in rural areas.

Finances are another crucial factor that limits healthcare access, affecting not just patients, but providers as well. Rural healthcare clinics treat smaller patient populations and subsequently perform fewer high-cost procedures. Hospitals are then unable to cover operational costs, resulting in a greater number of healthcare closures in rural settings [3]. Reduced funding also leaves rural clinics unable to update infrastructure or provide supplemental care [3]. From a patient standpoint, rural settings tend to have more poverty and a decreased ability to afford insurance premiums and healthcare costs [4]. Financial restraints continue to add to the problem faced by rural healthcare clinics and residents, as both seem to lack sufficient resources to have full healthcare access. Factoring in finances along with staffing issues creates significant barriers to health and has major implications for patient care. Rural communities are more likely to face poorer health outcomes, with a severe lack of access to preventative care and health education training, leading to higher rates of chronic conditions [5]. Understanding the needs of the populations is essential to foster solutions that will allow for greater access and better patient care quality. 

Finding ways to mitigate these negative effects will be essential for providing quality healthcare to rural populations. Telehealth, the use of technology to remotely deliver healthcare through message and video call, has become increasingly popular with rural communities, as it is a viable and cost-effective approach for a provider to be able to reach a patient, without the limits of transportation or far travel [1]. This technology can be used in a multitude of ways, such as video conferences or even text messaging with providers to help with diagnoses and care [1]. Although this does come with its drawbacks, requiring access to the internet and technology capable of connecting patients and providers, it has nonetheless been a useful tool in extending specialty care to rural populations.

Furthermore, many institutions are working to address staffing issues. Many universities and higher education programs located in rural areas have emphasized recruiting students who show an interest in working with rural or underserved populations. Finally, programs such as the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) offer loan repayment programs that set specific criteria for healthcare professionals to work for a specified length of time in a medically underserved area in order to have their educational loans reimbursed [6]. 

Ultimately, rural healthcare disparities are not only the result of geography, but of systemic challenges that require solutions. Addressing these staffing shortages and financial instabilities demands collaboration between policymakers, healthcare institutions, and communities. Investing in new approaches will begin to close the gap between rural and urban healthcare to ensure the health and well-being of all populations, regardless of where they live. 

References

1. Coombs, N. C., Campbell, D. G., & Caringi, J. (2022). A qualitative study of rural healthcare providers’ views of social, cultural, and programmatic barriers to healthcare access. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 438. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07829-2.

2.  Bethea, A., Samanta, D., Kali, M., Lucente, F. C., & Richmond, B. K. (2020). The impact of burnout syndrome on practitioners working within rural healthcare systems. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 38(3), 582–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2019.07.009

3. Maganty, A., Byrnes, M. E., Hamm, M., Wasilko, R., Sabik, L. M., Davies, B. J., & Jacobs, B. L. (2023). Barriers to rural health care from the provider perspective. Rural and Remote Health, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH7769

4. Anderson, D., Abraham, J. M., & Drake, C. (2019). Rural-Urban Differences In Individual-Market Health Plan Affordability After Subsidy Payment Cuts. Health Affairs, 38(12), 2032–2040. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00917

5. Kerna, N. A. (2025). Bridging the Gap: Examining Innovative and Sustainable Solutions for Addressing Rural Healthcare Disparities. European Journal of Innovative Studies and Sustainability, 1(3), 182–194. https://doi.org/10.59324/ejiss.2025.1(3).14

6. Loan Repayment | NHSC. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2026, from https://nhsc.hrsa.gov/loan-repayment