Rural communities across the United States are facing significant healthcare challenges. Many areas lack hospitals, doctors’ offices, and urgent care facilities.
National Rural Health Day aims to raise awareness of these issues and promote solutions such as telehealth to improve access to medical care.
Approximately 60 million Americans live in rural areas. In Washington State alone, 30 out of 39 counties are classified as rural. Healthcare delivery and outcomes in these regions are often less than ideal, prompting a push for more doctors to practice in rural communities despite a nationwide doctor shortage.
“We know that health delivery and health outcomes in rural territories is oftentimes less ideal,” said Dr. Nicole Saint Clair, Executive Medical Director of Regence BlueShield.
Telehealth and virtual visits have become vital tools in expanding healthcare access to rural areas, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated their adoption.
Before the pandemic, interest in telemedicine was growing, but the necessity of remote care during lockdowns forced a rapid expansion of these services. Virtual visits have made it possible for doctors to reach patients in remote locations without requiring long travel times, and some physical tests can now be conducted remotely with the help of devices sent to patients’ homes.
Dr. Saint Clair admitted there has been growth in the field of virtual medicine, even beyond telehealth.
“Prior to COVID, I think there was some interest in telemedicine, but obviously during the time period of everything being closed, we were forced to kind of accelerate,” Dr. Saint Clair said. “Now we have devices that we can send to people’s homes, that they can just very easily set up and use that then allows the virtual provider to see things.”
Challenges remain, as many rural areas lack strong internet service, which is crucial for effective telehealth solutions. Medical professionals are advocating for the development of digital infrastructure and more brick-and-mortar health services to better serve these communities.
As National Rural Health Day highlights the ongoing healthcare challenges in rural America, the focus remains on improving infrastructure and expanding telehealth to ensure better health outcomes for millions of residents.
©2025 Cox Media Group
