Efforts of rural hospitals could get a boost through a federal initiative announced at Door County Medical Center Friday. Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Eric Hargan and Rep. Mike Gallagher came to Sturgeon Bay Friday to discuss some of the highlights of the Rural Action Plan. The strategy addresses a number of areas of concern for rural communities including access to mental health services, growth of telemedicine, and chronic disease burden. Telemedicine has expanded in recent months due to the pandemic, growing from 14,000 beneficiaries in the first week of March to over 10 million now nationwide. Hargan says some of the other action points that are a part of the plan can have a real impact on rural communities.
Door County Medical Center has seen that aspect as well, going from virtually zero to approximately 2,000 patients. President and CEO Brian Stephens is happy to have partners at the federal and state levels support their efforts so they can better serve the community.
Stephens credits the work of Door County Medical Center’s physicians for helping with the early success of its telemedicine efforts. Rep. Gallagher hopes the growth of telemedicine serves as a catalyst for current legislation regarding broadband internet in rural areas.
