Iowa’s rural hospitals face a growing doctor’s shortage, which causes eliminating pandemic diseases.
In Iowa’s small town, Sigurney, the Kukok County Hospital is sitting quietly with only 14 beds and a simple emergency room that runs all day and night. It does not have a delivery ward or operating room. Only two full -time doctor meet the hospital needs, and it has been the same for a while. Matt Aus, who is in charge of running a hospital, is trying to find a third physician to help. But the search for new doctors, especially for rural areas, has become difficult between shortage between shortage since the outbreak of pandemic disease. In the past few years, some doctors have retired, and others have stopped working in areas like emergency care, which often demands rapid thinking, long time and high pressure.
About 40 minutes away, the Washington County Hospital is facing the same struggle. It has 22 beds and these doctors and nurses are not found. Its leader, Todd Patterson, says the problem started before Coid 19 but worsened when many older doctors decided to leave it during pandemic diseases. In the upper part, small doctors were not stepping enough to fill this gap. Healthcare workers faced severe changes during the height of Coid. Some have attributed the course, but many people are wearing health care completely, stress and stress. Nothing returned.
People who study health care trends say that the shortcomings we have been seeing have been built for years. Kovid just made everything faster. During the emergency, many doctors were around around around around to help for help. Now they are gone, and the space that is left behind is wide.
Iowa is feeling badly. Christie Taylor, who guides the Iowa Medical Society, says this is not just a problem-this is a completely crisis. How many doctors are available for Iowa patients are less. The state stands 44th out of 50 in this category, which means that many people do not have immediate access to maintenance when needed. In rural areas, where hospitals are already small and spreading thin, which can lead to serious consequences.
A national survey of 2022 shows that more health care workers are feeling more than ever before. Many people are thinking about changing the career or have already done so. Although more and more people have entered the health field since the epidemic disease, it is still not enough to leave the number of people or the number of retirees.
There is also the problem of America’s old population. As more people grow up, they need more care. This care has to come from somewhere, and now, there are not enough doctors to meet the need. The Association of American Medical Colleges says that if nothing has changed, about 86 86,000 doctors can be short in the country by 2036. This is a large number, and that means more and more people will be eliminated in emergency rooms because they cannot get regular appointments. This problem does not affect everyone equally. Low resources, in rural areas, and those who are already struggling with their health have been most affected.
Iowa’s lawmakers have begun to take notice. Some are trying to solve the problem by offering help to medical students who are willing to work in the state. Efforts are also being made to bring more and more residence locations in Iowa so that students who are eliminating medical schools can stay there to overcome the shortage and get training there. Without further training opportunities, even those who want to work in rural Iowa may have to leave to complete their education – and they cannot return.
If the changes do not happen soon, hospitals like in Sugarni can get even less doctors. And in places where every doctor is counted, it can mean that when fewer people need it, their care is reduced.
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Kovid damaged the shortage of doctors and nurses. Rural hospitals are still struggling
Kovid made the shortage of doctors and nurses even worse. Rural hospitals are still struggling
