The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / The Future of Rural Rheumatology: A Discussion with Dr. Robert Jackson

The Future of Rural Rheumatology: A Discussion with Dr. Robert Jackson

January 18, 2016 • By Kurt Ullman

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

GENERIC_Practice_Management_500x270Robert Jackson, DO, is a practicing rheumatologist and president of Premier Specialty Network. His company works with more than 30 rheumatologists, who provide services to more than 60 rural hospitals in six states. The Rheumatologist recently asked Dr. Jackson to comment on the future of rheumatology in rural areas.

You Might Also Like
  • Siting Your Rural Rheumatology Practice & Other Rural Rheum Concerns
  • How Rural Rheumatologists Are Coping with Passage of Affordable Care Act, Changes in Reimbursement, Payment Systems
  • U.S. Appeals Court: Hospitals Can Be ‘Urban’ & ‘Rural’ at Same Time
Also By This Author
  • Rheumatology Clinical Registry Debuts This Month

Q: What do you see as the future of rural rheumatology between now and 2021?
A: I don’t think that the need for our specialty in rural areas is going to lessen. Instead it will increase. This demand will, likely, keep reimbursement levels competitive and make it a good business model to go outside the city.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Q: There is a concern that government healthcare reform was not favorable to rural locations, and a number of rural hospitals have closed. How does that fit in with the scenario you seem to see?
A: [That has been] unfortunate. … There are many areas with only one hospital left. Losing that facility can have a [devastating] impact on communities both immediately, as one of the area’s largest employers, and longer term [because the] lack of a hospital can make it harder to bring in new employers.

Because of this, I think political pressure on, and by, both parties will [create] an incentive for Congress to keep small hospitals alive even as the rest of the government seems to be applying pressure to close them.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

In some areas, they may be lost as a provider of in-patient acute care services, but in most cases, they will still be providing outpatient and urgent care [services]—some of which can be provided by rheumatology specialists.

Q: What are some of the other pluses you see in this area of practice going forward?
A: Technology is likely to get better in rural areas. This [fact] will mean top-level care is available quicker and easier in rural and suburban areas and increase the ability of practitioners to make good professional decisions. It should also help with concerns about professional isolation.

Q: Speaking of technology, you seem to suggest that electronic medical records (EMRs) are somewhat of a two-edged sword.
A: The old way of closing down your office, grabbing your paper records and driving down the road to another community is not all that productive. On the other hand, it isn’t unusual for a rheumatologist to practice at more than one hospital, with limited ability to exchange information between them, and each may have different ways of entering information.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Facility, Practice Management, Professional Topics, Workforce Tagged With: Affordable Care Act, Electronic medical records, hospital, Practice Management, rural, Technology

You Might Also Like:
  • Siting Your Rural Rheumatology Practice & Other Rural Rheum Concerns
  • How Rural Rheumatologists Are Coping with Passage of Affordable Care Act, Changes in Reimbursement, Payment Systems
  • U.S. Appeals Court: Hospitals Can Be ‘Urban’ & ‘Rural’ at Same Time
  • Practicing in Rural Settings Offers Slower Pace, Personal Satisfaction for Many Rheumatologists

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)