A NEW LANDSCAPE TO NAVIGATE

A new era of challenges has arisen for rural health care. Changes in taxes and hospital designations in the wake of the “Big Beautiful Bill” are threatening more rural hospitals and their coverage for remote communities. These hospitals often rely on federal support to continue supporting patient populations that cannot otherwise access or afford care.

While these institutions struggle to stay afloat, waiting for the promised action of the Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program that was passed alongside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, roughly 65% of rural communities suffer a shortage of primary care physicians (Albert Henry). The medical field at large is anticipating widespread shortages in the future, with burnout, early retirement, and mixed trends for applications and enrollment in medical programs (Boyle).

FEWER AVAILABLE PROVIDERS THAN EVER

The Bureau of Healthcare Workforce released projections in 2023 that, while metro populations were likely to see a 6% decrease in physicians by 2036, the rural healthcare landscape should anticipate a 56% shortage (Temple). These shortages aren’t new, but rather an exponential result of a cyclical problem – decreasing rural applicants results in fewer rural physicians. From 2002 to 2017, there was a sharp decline in medical school graduates in rural areas, a decrease of 28%. Now, only 4-5% of incoming medical students are from rural areas (Albert Henry). 

“The American Medical Association is deeply concerned about the ever-widening health disparities between urban and rural communities,” said AMA President-elect Bruce A. Scott, MD (“Leaders at Coalition-Sponsored Event Discuss Issues Challenging Rural Health Care Access”).

Rural health care is under more pressure than ever to stay afloat, with less resources and funding, all while facing its biggest shortage of physicians yet. So how do we bridge that gap?

A REIMAGINED APPLICATION OF TELESERVICES FOR RURAL CARE

The pandemic era saw the rise of telehealth across the healthcare landscape, but especially to help support rural healthcare. Most of these solutions were centered on bringing care directly to patients, relying on inconsistent internet bandwidth in remote areas of the country. Virtual assistants, however, can be made available to support rural physicians themselves.

An affordable, accessible, and extremely flexible solution, virtual allied health members can lift burdens from overwhelmed providers so that they can focus on delivering care at the top of their license.

Rural physicians have to wear a number of hats, treating whatever ailments they encounter. Urban areas tend to have 263 specialists to every 100,000 residents, but in rural spaces, that number is closer to 30 specialists per 100,000 residents (Albert Henry). This leaves providers with more to do and less time to do it. While administrative duties are often the biggest time killer for providers, they can struggle to delegate such tasks. 

A 2023 study found that the number one reason administrative tasks aren’t handed off is because there is no one to hand them to. 50% of surveyed physicians said they don’t delegate administrative tasks because they don’t have enough nurses or medical assistants on staff to do so (Albert Henry).

THE IMPACT OF VIRTUAL SUPPORT

Virtual allied health care team members can handle a number of administrative tasks without being local to rural care. They can manage:

• Call handling: inbound and outbound calls, referrals, and monitoring queues
• Patient inquiries: via email, text, or healthcare portal
• Appointment coordination: scheduling, rescheduling, and canceling appointments
• Prescription management: process refill requests and notify patients of availability
• Patient outreach: follow-ups and supporting care plans
• Virtual visit intake: patient check-ins and management for telehealth
• Data entry: input patient and insurance information into EHR
• Order entry: entering medical orders, medications, consultations, lab services, etc
• Insurance coordination: prior authorizations, verify coverage, resolve claim issues
• Chart scrubbing: ensure charts are optimized and accurate for billing
• Provider inbox support: prepare letters, manage specialist correspondence, triage tasks

If we cannot increase the number of rural providers, then we must revolutionize how they are supported. Virtual assistants provide flexible administrative support tailored to each individual provider’s unique workflow. Their services are more affordable than traditional on-site coverage, and are available regardless of location, mitigating the challenge of staffing in remote areas. As the rural healthcare landscape evolves, so too must practices evolve their approach to care.

Want to learn more about virtual allied health support for your practice? Contact Us.

References and Citations

Albert Henry, Tanya. “AMA Outlines 5 Keys to Fixing America’s Rural Health Crisis.” American Medical Association, 6 June 2024, www.ama-assn.org/public-health/population-health/ama-outlines-5-keys-fixing-america-s-rural-health-crisis.

Anguiano, Dani. “Rural US Town Outraged as Only Hospital Forced to Shut: ‘I Would Have Died without It.’” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 7 Oct. 2025, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/07/rural-us-town-outraged-as-only-hospital-forced-to-shut-i-would-have-died-without-it.

“Black Book Research Releases 2025 Rural Healthcare IT Solutions Report Addressing Interoperability Challenges & Technology Gaps.” Newswire, 21 Feb. 2025, www.newswire.com/news/black-book-research-releases-2025-rural-healthcare-it-solutions-report-22524487.

Boyle, Patrick. “Medical School Enrollment Reaches a New High.” AAMC, 9 Jan. 2025, www.aamc.org/news/medical-school-enrollment-reaches-new-high.

“Leaders at Coalition-Sponsored Event Discuss Issues Challenging Rural Health Care Access: AHA News.” American Hospital Association , www.aha.org/news/headline/2025-09-09-leaders-coalition-sponsored-event-discuss-issues-challenging-rural-health-care-access. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

Miller Temple, Kay. “Growing the Rural Physician Workforce: Decades of Federal Funding Impacts Rural Graduate Medical Education.” The Rural Monitor, 6 Nov. 2024, www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/graduate-medical-education.

“Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program.” CMS.Gov, www.cms.gov/priorities/rural-health-transformation-rht-program/overview. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.