Session 7

How does the availability or lack of availability of health professionals impact rural health?

This has become particularly clear to me over the past week. The availability of a health professional is very important for rural health in general. It is essential that they be available as much as possible in order to ensure productivity and safety within the community. I had several questions to ask a health profession as part of my assignment from class. She responded fairly quickly saying she was willing to help. However, it has been several days and I have not yet received her responses to my questions. As a result, my learning in this area has been put on hold. It is absolutely vital that health professions be available to their community in order to maintain positive rural health.

How do we recruit health professionals to your county?

The general way of hiring/recruiting health professionals is to look for college graduates. When doing so it is important to research their background, that is, area of study, extra ciricular activities, etc. It is also important not to overlook those that do not have a college degree. Oftentimes, these individuals have enough experience to fullfil the position.

What are the barriers and the assets of the community that could be used to retain health professionals in rural areas?

Some barriers are of course population. The area, being rural, does not have many people living nearby. This makes selection limited. Also, considering the county is rural, a limited amount of people are familiar with health positions available. However, the county does have a well developed health program. And of course there is always room for expansion. They must continue to progress. They should also try to reach out to the public to inform them of the programs they have available.