(The Center Square) – Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Bradford County hosted a group of legislators and state officials, including Gov. Josh Shapiro, to highlight rural healthcare successes and proposed initiatives.
Guthrie is a teaching hospital near the northern border of the state and holds the only Level I Trauma Center in the region. Its broader care network serves 10,000 square miles and 13 counties in Pennsylvania and New York.
The clinic’s successes, leaders hope, can serve as a model for other providers for rural regions in the commonwealth and across the country. Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, Guthrie Clinic President and CEO, credited the efforts of primary care providers with the system’s successful health outcomes.
“Our caregivers are the lifeline of this care, and we are laser-focused on recruiting and retaining top talent through competitive wages and family-friendly benefits,” said Sabanegh.
Rural healthcare is among the industries struggling most with the state’s workforce shortage. Recruiting and incentivizing workers to live and work in the region has been a major thrust of both the Shapiro administration and bipartisan efforts in the legislature.
For aspiring healthcare professionals, field placements can have a major impact on how they choose to focus their career. In a recent hearing of the Senate Appropriations committee, Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen noted that students who spend 12 weeks in a rural post are more likely to seek out careers in rural care.
Guthrie represents one of just a handful of rural teaching hospitals in the state. Moving to a remote location can be a tough sell for cash-strapped students who have spent their collegiate careers in urban areas of the state. Programs that cover student loan repayment can provide the motivation some students need to make the leap.
Shapiro’s proposed budget includes $5 million to recruit and train nurses, $5 million to expand the Primary Care Loan Repayment Program for professionals who agree to work in designated areas, and $10 million toward expanding behavioral health loan repayment programs.
“The people on the frontlines of the crises that are healers and helpers are carrying a heavy load. They are saving lives, but they need support, too,” said Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Secretary Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, who says DDAP has seen great success with the program.
“As a licensed clinical social worker, and for 12 years now, I’ve served rural communities in Lycoming and Clinton counties,” said Barbara Vanaskie, who is a SUD loan repayment program awardee. “This loan repayment program has lifted the burden of student loans, allowing me and others to focus on what matters — helping people.”
The people Vanaskie and her colleagues are helping represent a huge area of the state. In rural regions, the commonwealth has only one physician per 522 residents, compared to one per every 222 residents in urban areas. The governor noted that in Sullivan County, there is not a single physician in a population of over 5,000.
“The Center for Rural Pennsylvania released a population projection showing that by 2050, much of the state’s growth will shift southeast — while areas like my district, including Bradford County, are projected to lose population if nothing changes,” said Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport. “That’s why investing in rural healthcare is critical. Declining populations impact emergency services, healthcare, broadband, and more.”
Yaw was joined by local Rep. Tina Pickett, R-Towanda, and Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who is local to the area. Another guest who came to speak demonstrated the ripple effect of Guthrie’s impact. Kevin Gibbs, a patient who was treated at Guthrie after a near-fatal motorcycle accident, has added to the workforce by taking on a security role at the hospital.
“We are fortunate to have this level of care in our community, and we need a dedicated workforce across Pennsylvania to save more lives,” said Gibbs.
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
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