Case Scenario: Memorial Hospital in an acute care community hospital in Pennsylvania
Memorial Hospital is an acute care community hospital in rural Pennsylvania, with 45 swing beds for either acute care or skilled nursing facility beds for patients in recovery.
The community is primarily composed of Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Thirteen physicians, who primarily practice as solo practitioners in the area, have staff privileges.
There has been a loss of privately insured patients; several physicians have moved their practice near Philadelphia.
After the physicians moved, the hospital saw a drop in inpatients, surgical procedures, and patient days.
Primary care physicians provide critical services to many underserved rural populations.
Primary care specialists are the life-blood of many local community hospitals.
Specialists in many services are rare in many rural markets.
Patients in rural markets may travel two to three hours for specialty care.
Out-migration of patients represents lost revenue for the local hospital, which further limits resources available to recruit additional physicians.
Question 1: What new strategies do rural hospitals need to implement to successfully attract and retain physicians in their markets?
Question 2: What is the primary barrier for physicians to locate and practice long-term in a rural setting?
Question 3: What can medical schools do to encourage their students to practice in rural underserved locations?
Question 4: What can federal, state, and local governments do to encourage medical students to practice in rural underserved locations?
Question 5: Do the benefits of government intervention in the medical manpower marketplace exceed their cost?