Access to Care in Appalachia
EMILY RICE
Access to health care in West Virginia is a multifaceted issue , one that includes geographic , educational and workforce obstacles . However , these obstacles are being met with creative solutions and dedicated health care professionals .
Although West Virginia is not a large state in terms of geography , the population is spread out and , oftentimes , isolated . Many do not have access to frequent primary care physician visits , whether that be from lack of access to their own vehicle or lack of monetary support to see a physician regularly . In these cases , patients only visit a doctor for emergency situations . Upon their arrival to an emergency room , often via ambulance , underlying health issues surface , and these emergency departments are left to fill gaps in health care .
Jim Kauffman , president and CEO of the West Virginia Hospital Association , says patients without access to care tend to see the emergency room as their primary care provider . While emergency departments have been inundated with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and their personnel and supplies have been stretched thin , officials continue to urge patients to seek the appropriate level of care .
“ Especially during the onset of COVID-19 , we were encouraging people to try to use primary care providers or urgent care centers instead of the emergency room because you had patients that really needed emergency-level care coming to the emergency room ,” Kauffman says . “ We want the other patients coming in to get care at the appropriate setting , and that may not have to be in the emergency room . That is putting more stress and strain on an already maxed out system .”
Often , a routine checkup is just another item on someone ’ s to-do list that constantly falls to the bottom of their priorities . Kauffman says many people only seek care when something is wrong , and that delay could allow their condition to worsen in the meantime .
“ By the time you find out something is wrong , it is usually much further advanced and requires higher levels of care ,” Kauffman says . “ In my opinion , you are seeing hospitals serving as the pillar of the health care delivery system . With the consolidation , you are seeing more and more hospitals directly employing physicians . It is not just specialists but
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE