Final Frontier: IPC Challenges in Rural Health Care

Stories of Care

Approximately 15% of Americans live in a rural setting, and they are at a greater risk of death from 5 leading causes (heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, stroke and chronic lower respiratory disease) than urban Americans. Studies looking at rural hospitals note unique challenges: health care staff shortages, relative geographic isolation and difficulty in accessing mentoring in IPC and disconnects between local needs and upper-level mandates. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Michael Stevens, a Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and West Virginia University Health System's System Healthcare Epidemiologist. Listen as Dr. Stevens addresses these challenges and celebrates the resiliency of infection prevention in rural facilities.