The Importance of Caring for Our Rural Population

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
Deuteronomy 28:3
 
Historically, America’s rural population has been underserved, neglected, and sometimes ignored by healthcare services. As many of our readers will know all too well, medical centers tend to cluster around high-population areas like cities and suburbs, leaving rural folks with few – or no – options. The results of this over time are staggering. Rural populations have suffered from:
 

• Higher mortality rates (all causes)
• Higher rates of heart disease
  
• Higher rates of cancer
• Higher rates of stroke
• Lower life expectancy

 
These effects are felt even harder within minority communities. In addition, the rural South leads in mortality rates for nearly all of the top ten causes of death today.
 
While this paints a bleak picture of rural healthcare, the good news is that there are organizations like HealthKeeperz that are working tirelessly to change things. In fact, rural healthcare access – while still not good enough – is improving faster than ever.
 
But why does HealthKeeperz focus so much of its energy on caring for the rural population? For one, because many of the people within our organization are rural folks. Therefore, we know firsthand how much this group contributes to the greater good. Beyond our healthcare professionals, there are countless other ways that rural people serve. They are our farmers, our entrepreneurs, and sometimes both. They are our carpenters, plumbers, contractors, and teachers. They are smart and hard-working people who help us in a multitude of ways – so perhaps a more apt question would be, why don’t more medical services focus their energy on the rural population? This population certainly deserves just as much medical care as those in our towns and cities.
 
Secondly, HealthKeeperz focuses on serving rural populations because they need us most. Historical inequalities have led to “healthcare deserts” where the average person is hard-pressed to find a doctor and may have to drive several hours to the closest specialist. While we obviously care just as much about the well-being of city folks, there are already numerous healthcare facilities providing them with care. We are more focused on helping areas that lack these resources.
 
Our mission, “caring for all people for the glory of God,” guides us in all we do. It motivates us to step up and meet the needs of our society’s most underserved populations. HealthKeeperz has seen what happens when rural folks don’t get adequate healthcare, including long travel times, preventable deaths, and trauma. Accessing healthcare should be an easy and comfortable process, not one that disrupts your everyday life and causes you stress. At HealthKeeperz, we’re committed to turning this dream of convenient rural healthcare into a reality.
 
 
 
 

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