Access to Care in Vulnerable Communities

The American College of Surgeons awarded the designation following a rigorous evaluation of the hospital’s trauma program, recognizing its ability to provide the highest level of comprehensive, 24/7 care for critically injured children.
Storks delivering babies may be a flight of fancy, but a real South Dakota maternal-fetal medicine specialist flies hundreds of miles each week to reach rural patients who would otherwise face hours-long drives for specialized care.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital is utilizing telemedicine to expand access to care and support rural hospitals that lack pediatric cardiac MRI and CT expertise.
In rural Cochise County, Ariz., many older adults struggle with limited incomes, chronic health conditions, and scarce access to essential resources. Geographic isolation and high poverty rates among seniors make basic needs — such as adult incontinence supplies — difficult to afford.
Clifton-Fine Hospital in St. Lawrence County, N.Y., adjacent to the Canadian border, was long challenged by low patient numbers and an outdated, cramped emergency room so small and crowded that staff struggled to treat multiple patients with space or privacy.
Ranger’s care journey was a long one — from Durant, Okla., to Austin, Texas, and finally OU Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Jan. 29 issued a final rule, “Medicaid Program; Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Populations-Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole.”
Even the most experienced health care leaders can feel lost as patients. In this conversation, Ji Im, system senior director of community and population health at CommonSpirit Health, explores why seamless navigation, community partnerships and human connection are essential to reducing friction…