It is said that “To whom much is given, much is expected.” My community has blessed me with tremendous gifts. Thanks to the community of Aurora, Minnesota, I have received support and nurturing, friendship and family, an education and a calling. As a recent Nurse Practitioner graduate, I believe I need to respond to the warmth and generosity of this community. It remains my most fervent wish that I can live up to the expectations of my community and offer dedicated service as a healthcare provider. As a Registered Nurse for over twelve years, I appreciate the healthcare needs of my community. As with all communities, residents and visitors depend upon professional healthcare providers to assist them with their healthcare needs. Unfortunately, rural communities often suffer from a lack of qualified healthcare providers. Individuals who live in rural communities suffer health disparities due to the dearth of qualified healthcare providers. I believe my place as a healthcare provider rests in the rural healthcare setting. I believe I can assist the residents in achieving a greater level of health and well-being through a dynamic partnership with them. Rural communities offer a comfort and interconnectedness to their members that cannot be overstated. I trust in this interconnectedness to assist me in forming lasting bonds with my patients. A strong relationship between the patient and the provider offers an important way to decrease healthcare disparities for rural residents. The residents of Aurora will not only be my patients; they are my neighbors. As a child, my doctors and nurses lived in my neighborhood. These relationships taught me a true respect for the service rural healthcare providers can offer.
Rural healthcare must be valued by the medical community. However, too many healthcare providers choose to practice in urban areas. Nearly twenty-five percent of Americans live in rural areas. However, only ten percent of physicians choose to practice within the rural setting (“What’s different about rural healthcare?” n.d.). The United States government recognizes the importance of healthcare providers choosing to practice in small communities. Health People 2020 acknowledges that health disparities create tremendous difficulties and challenges for marginalized groups. However, as providers, we cannot only recognize the needs of rural communities. We must meet and surpass the needs of these communities. The greatest healthcare challenge for individuals living in rural communities remains access to a healthcare provider (Bolin & Bellamy, 2012, p. 6). There is an ever looming shortage of primary care providers in Minnesota. It is estimated by the early 2020’s the shortage of primary care providers will be in the amount of 1000 to 2000 providers (Karnowsky, S., 2013). Due to the rural location of Aurora they too have experienced the challenges of obtaining and retaining providers. The Aurora service area is designated as a primary care health professional shortage area, along with a designated shortage site for dental health(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013). This shortage has left a greater stress on providers trying to meet the health care needs of the population, and on patients who often endure lengthy wait times to get into appointments.
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I am committed to the community of Aurora, Minnesota. The area has a shortage of primary care providers. The community has endured economic hardship and job loss. Aurora’s population is 1,682, with a median income of $44, 699 (Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board [IRRB], 2013). The current job growth rate is -12.60%, and citizens drive an average of 32 minutes for employment (IRRB, 2013). The economic struggles increased when LTV Steel, a once booming taconite mine, closed in the year 2000. This resulted in a loss of approximately 1400 jobs. This job loss created a significant impact on the town and surrounding areas. As a result, many individuals left the community. It is never easy to watch friends and neighbors leave. Still, many citizens choose to stay in their hometown. Optimism is on the horizon within the local economy as industrial firms have been looking into the region and businesses have moved into the area. I want to assure the individuals who remain and I hope those who join our lovely community that their health is as important as the health of a resident of New York City or Miami. The citizens of this town deserve the same level of care as a metropolitan area. My recent education as a Nurse Practitioner can assist me in providing this.
I look forward to beginning employment as a Nurse Practitioner. I look forward to helping my neighbors and friends to live long, healthy, happy lives. As a nurse with extensive training in diabetes and wound care, I also can offer this community specialized care in these fields. My years as a Certified Diabetes Educator provided me a level of expertise knowledge and experience which has been identified as a greatly needed service in rural Northern Minnesota. Essentia Health, in a recent community health assessment of the Aurora, identified its highest-priority areas of need as; obesity, physical activity, and nutrition as a risk factor for chronic disease such as Type Two diabetes (Essentia Institute, 2013).
We need to focus on these areas and remind individuals that health is a journey, not a destination. Working with chronic disease management and behavior change is my greatest passion in health care. I try to promote health by leading through example, not only with myself but my three young daughters as well. I want my children, as well as patients to understand that our lifestyles have a massive influence on health care outcomes. By working with the community members in these areas, I hope to reduce mortality and morbidity within our region.
One can never truly appreciate the beauty and warmth of a hometown until one worries about losing it. Many healthcare providers leave the small towns for the larger cities. Often, this is due to student loans and other financial obligations. It is an understandable issue for many professionals. However, I do not plan to leave the rural area for a metropolitan position. I recognized many years ago that my place was in my hometown, serving the community, and working to improve it.
- Bolin, JN. & Bellamy, G. (2012). Rural healthy people 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from: http://www.srph.tamhsc.edu/centers/srhrc/images/rhp2020#rhp2020
- Essentia Institute. (2013). Community health needs assessment: Essentia Health Northern Pines, Aurora, Minnesota. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from www.essentiainstitute.org/EssentiaInstitute/CHAreports.aspx
- Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board. (2013). Community Profiles. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from http://irrrbproperties.com/
- Karnowsky, S. (2013). Minn. faces shortage of primary care doctors. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/06/23/health/minn-primary-care-doctor-shortage?refid=0
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2013). Find shortage areas: HPSA by State & County . Retrieved August 15, 2013, from http://hpsafind.hrsa.gov/HPSASearch.aspx
- “What’s different about rural healthcare?” (n.d.). National Rural Health Association. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from: http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/left/about-rural-health
