New Becker’s podcast: Laura Smith talks rural healthcare
A recent Becker’s Healthcare Podcast features the Joint Commission’s Laura Smith, senior product director of healthcare standards development, talking about the current state of rural healthcare and how the Joint Commission’s new Rural Health Clinics (RHC) Accreditation program aims to shape the future of a sector which serves approximately 15% of the U.S. population.
Smith underscores the potential impact of the new RHC program, explaining “the need to access safe, reliable, and effective care in rural communities is very important to us. We have a goal, which is to standardize patient care practices and to help rural health clinics in medically underserved communities really improve the safety and quality of primary care and personal health services to those in their community.”
Key takeaways from the podcast:
- Rural healthcare is a vital but challenging sector of the healthcare ecosystem, serving about 1 in 6 Americans with limited resources and access.
- The RHC program was developed with insights from other sectors The Joint Commission accredits, CMS guidelines, and unique challenges faced by healthcare providers in rural settings.
- The program offers standards, education, and resources to enhance performance and outcomes, as well as reductions in variation and risk.
Listen to the podcast Go to listen to the rural health clinic program podcast