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We are a set of individuals that is rarely seen, only heard. We are the lifeline of our community’s public safety system. We are versatile, quickly moving from different tasks and processes sometimes within seconds. We are the calm and compassionate voice on the other side of the phone or radio. But sometimes when the… Continue reading “911, What’s the address of the emergency?”
You may have heard the statistic that Black women in the US are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth or after due to complications than white women. Maybe that statement resonates with you as just a number, or maybe that information raises a red flag – or several – for you… Continue reading Structural Racism in Healthcare
In a time when a small town is shattered by violence toward its most precious asset, and babies nationwide are under threat of formula shortages, it is impossible to underestimate the power of community. The tragedy in Texas belongs to other voices to tell. We salute them and send solidarity as their stories unfold and… Continue reading Community is our Backbone
The Local Voices blog is a new initiative that encourages self-awareness and self-efficacy. It provides personal perspectives from our medical community that reflect life, beauty, and lessons learned in SWVA and rural localities. We are actively seeking residents, physicians, medical students, or anyone in the healthcare community to share their stories and experiences from living… Continue reading Call for Submissions
The American Society of Anesthesiologists sponsors a scholarship for medical student and resident members introducing future physicians to rural anesthesia. Applicants must either be a third or fourth year medical student in an approved U.S. program or residency program, and be a member of the ASA. Application StepsFill out the scholarship application and submit along with… Continue reading Rural Access to Anesthesia Care Scholarship
A new analysis of the emergency physician resident workforce in Annals of Emergency Medicine finds that while the number of residency programs is increasing, new residency programs are disproportionately located in urban areas in states with existing programs, rather than rural communities with limited access to emergency care. “Predictions of an oversupply of emergency physicians in the… Continue reading Uneven Distribution of Emergency Physician Residency Programs Can Impact Workforce Challenges, New Analysis Finds
Before I joined the Lonesome Pine Family Medicine Residency Program in Norton, I took a long career break. I thought my biggest challenge would be getting back into medicine with younger, “fresh out of med school" residents. It turns out, that was not it at all. I live in Kingsport, TN. Most of my rotations… Continue reading The Drive to Succeed
"...when the visit is over, I have solved one real problem. Just one, maybe a relatively small one. But that grateful patient, on that day, leaves armed with concrete information that will improve their health. I didn’t rewrite history, but I put a ripple in the water. " I had the audacity in my youth, to… Continue reading Changing the World
Link to Full Report Recognizing the care inequities and the changing needs of rural America, the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) provides this report and recommendations to strengthen rural health workforce training and improve access to health care through evidence-based, patient- and community-centered health workforce investments spanning education, training, and practice. To address the… Continue reading Strengthening the Rural Health Workforce to Improve Health Outcomes in Rural Communities – COGME 24th Report
With myths of outdated equipment, poor quality of training, and little variety in clinical cases, Rural Medicine often comes in last place on the list of dream jobs. Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth. As a former Internal Medicine resident in small town, rural America, I found that Rural Medicine provided an… Continue reading Field of Dreams: Rural Medicine
Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium 