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

We also have the same problems that our colleagues in urban areas do. Most EMRs were made with primary care physicians in mind and don’t work well with the needs of specialists.

Q: What are some of the things you are concerned about?
A: I am worried about healthcare reform and its impact on the pipeline for new graduates in all specialties. Those of us already in the business talk about the economic impact, grumble about lifestyles and dissatisfaction at work. Will that affect whether people choose the healthcare field as a profession? It may be that medicine in general, and rheumatology in particular, is not viewed as a job with a future.

Kurt Ullman is a freelance writer based in Indiana.

Circuit-riding physicians go from hospital to hospital providing specialty services to rheumatology patients in rural areas

Four years ago, a series of articles in The Rheumatologist talked about the practice of rheumatology in rural settings. Since then, changes have occurred, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), differences in reimbursement and the trek toward value-based payment systems. One major concern expressed in the original article was the fact that…

Outside of urban areas, rheumatologists enjoy better quality of life, but fewer professional interactions

Do you want to practice near a highway off-ramp or a supermarket? Where a rural rheumatology practice is located may be the key to success…

Rheumatology Circuit Brings Healthcare to Small Towns

How Rural Rheumatologists Are Coping with Passage of Affordable Care Act, Changes in Reimbursement, Payment Systems

Practicing in Rural Settings Offers Slower Pace, Personal Satisfaction for Many Rheumatologists

Siting Your Rural Rheumatology Practice & Other Rural Rheum Concerns

Related Articles