According to one industry expert, coronavirus remains an everyday crisis for rural healthcare providers. Allan Morgan is CEO of the National Rural Health Care Association, a nation-wide non-profit membership organization made up of hospitals and health-related facilities in rural areas. He said many of the topics the rural healthcare community would have been talking about, still apply now, but those issues are exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“And I say that because rural America is older, sicker and poorer.  A great percentage of chronic health needs among populations of rural communities, this is the population most at risk for COVID-19," Morgan said. "And at a time where you’ve got these communities that have large populations of seniors and those with serious chronic health needs rural American is defined by chronic health care shortages.”

Morgan said the pandemic is a one-two punch most small hospitals and clinics cannot deal with.

“Before they postponed all of the revenue generating procedures at their facilities, so, right now, during a cash crunch out there, and it’s a particularly bad time for rural hospitals from a financial standpoint, number one.  Number two, they struggling as all providers are with accessing personal protection equipment.”

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