About 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in a rural area, yet just 11 percent of physicians practice in these regions, according to a report by the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
Rural physicians face a lot of the same challenges as urban physicians; however, these problems can be exacerbated due to the strain on resources in these areas, according to a July 19 Medscape article. They may face more severe burnout or have more trouble finding specialists.
These issues can deter some physicians from practicing in those regions.
Bradley Serwer, MD, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at CardioSolution shared three tips with Medscape for rural physicians to retain talent.
1. Give your physicians recognition for their work. Show your gratitude and appreciation to help keep them going.
2. Get out and show how much your practice appreciates the community. The sense of reward is motivating.
3. Prioritize work-life balance. Make schedules more reasonable so physicians can stick with it.