Rural states have less access to life-saving care

In a medical emergency, time can be the difference between life and death, but more than 25 percent of Americans live an hour or more from an emergency room prepared to handle major crises, says a University of Pennsylvania study led by professor Brendan Carr. "Research shows that hospitals that treat a higher volume of patients tend to have more resources -- staffing, specialized imaging equipment and care protocols - and ultimately, better patient outcomes," says a university press release. The study shows that "residents of rural states appear to be much less likely to have access to those types of facilities."

In Montana, only 8 percent of residents have access an emergency room that sees more than three patients per hour. In South Dakota, the figure is 13 percent. In rural states where population is more densely aggregated, such as Maine and Vermont, it is 50 percent. The study recommends strategies for helping these areas: "subsidizing rural hospitals or offering incentives for physicians to practice at those facilities, improving interhospital referral networks and identifying hospitals that can specialize in treatment of certain emergent illnesses." (Hat tip to the Daily Yonder; for the press release, click here.)