St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) recently launched its Family Medicine Residency Program, aimed at addressing the needs of rural communities, at St. Luke’s Miners Campus in Tamaqua.
There are 42 rural hospitals in Pennsylvania. These facilities face unique challenges including physician shortages, and patients incurring barriers to their access to care such as long transit times, the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania said. Some rural facilities have closed because of financial difficulties.
The fully accredited program is one of 34 in the United States but the first in Pennsylvania. It is fully integrated with St. Luke’s Family Medicine Residency—Warren in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
The program emphasizes preventive care, especially in common chronic conditions such as heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes. It also emphasizes stabilizing and preparing patients for transfer to other facilities.
Legislatively, efforts are in process to address workforce issues in rural hospitals.
House Bill 2532, sponsored by Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford), was introduced earlier this summer. It would establish the Pennsylvania Rural Health Redesign Center (RHRC) Authority and the Pennsylvania RHRC Fund.
The authority would govern the rural global budget model and provide technical support to its participants.
A similar bill was introduced in the state Senate by Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne).