Family Medicine Featured at National Rural Health Day Events

CME Credit Opportunities Available

Nov. 10, 2022, 1:11 p.m. News Staff — Each year, the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health recognizes the third Thursday in November as National Rural Health Day to honor the efforts of health care professionals and others who care for the residents of rural and underserved communities.

Like the webinar, there is no charge to attend the Clinical Congress, but registration is required. Participants can earn up to 1 CME credit for each session they attend.

Rural Health Background

Absent a standardized definition of what constitutes “rural” versus “urban” communities, estimates of the number of people in the United States living in rural areas range from 46 million to 63 million. Whatever the number, obtaining health care can be a challenge for residents of these areas because they often have less access to critical resources than their urban counterparts.

Rural Americans also tend to experience higher rates of poverty, are less likely to have health insurance, and are more likely to participate in unhealthy behaviors such as cigarette smoking and reduced physical activity, all of which can contribute to poor health outcomes.

As champion of the specialty that cares for patients of all ages, the Academy is committed to improving rural health throughout the country. Toward that end, the AAFP has taken a number of actions to support family physicians who work in rural and underserved areas and to ensure that rural Americans have access to high-quality care.

AAFP Rural Health Advocacy

Earlier this year, in response to a proposed rule on rural emergency hospitals, the AAFP and the American College of Emergency Physicians wrote a letter to CMS asking the agency to modify the rule, saying that “to ensure quality emergency care, it is critical that a physician with training and/or experience in emergency medicine provide the care or oversee the care delivered by non-physician practitioners.” The organizations explained to CMS that patients living in rural areas “should not be subjected to a lower quality of care solely because of their location.”

The Academy also sent a separate letter “to acknowledge the vital role family physicians currently play in ensuring access to emergency care in rural areas and ensure the final rule enables family physicians to continue practicing in REHs, including serving in REH leadership roles.” The AAFP further encouraged the agency to allow physicians to meet requirements for direct supervision through real-time telehealth technology, noting that “family physicians have reported this flexibility has improved access to care in rural areas during the COVID-19 public health emergency.”

In June, the Academy joined the other members of the Council of Academic Family Medicine (i.e., the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, North American Primary Care Research Group and Society of Teachers of Family Medicine) to provide comments to CMS in support of rural training track programs.

The AAFP has also recently advocated for or is developing strategies to

• boost payment for rural family medicine practices and ensure rural health clinics are included in value-based payment models,
• increase funding for rural training tracks and training opportunities in health professional shortage areas,
• develop resources for FPs, including those working in rural settings, who want to utilize digital health in their practices, and
• expand broadband access to rural communities and practices.

Other resources include AAFP policies and position papers addressing topics such as access to rural health care, the role of rural health care in medical education and keeping physicians in rural practice.

The Academy also maintains a Rural Health Member Interest Group, in which members can connect with colleagues, discuss issues and share ideas.