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The role of telehealth in the future of excellent healthcare for rural areas

Hear from Bill Gassen, President, and CEO of Sanford Health, one of the leading health systems in the country, as he talks about how telehealth is taking a significant role in creating models for seamless care for families in rural areas.
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Speakers
Bill Gassen
Bill Gassen
President and CEO
Dedi Gilad
Dedi Gilad
CEO and Co-founder
Emily Heineman
Emily Heineman
Senior Enterprise Account Manager
Key insights:
  • Telehealth is playing a significant role in creating models for seamless care for people living in rural areas.
  • Rural communities often face unique challenges in healthcare access, including a shortage of clinicians, issues related to health equity, and difficulties in sustaining healthcare services.
  • Technological advancements, particularly in telehealth, are helping to bridge the gap in healthcare access in rural areas.
  • Sanford Health’s strategic position and aspirational goal is to be the premier rural health system in the U.S.
  • Telehealth has seen increased adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated the digital transformation in healthcare.
  • The future of rural healthcare will likely involve a mix of physical and virtual care, depending on the specific needs of the patient and the condition being treated.
Health systems across the United States are investing in a continuous effort to provide equally high-quality healthcare across the regions they cover. This can be challenging when dealing with communities in rural areas, where the current shortage of clinicians adds to existing difficulties in making coverage hard to access.
As they strive to provide affordable and comprehensive access to care for their entire population, telehealth is taking a significant role in creating models for seamless care for people no matter where they live.

Telehealth is a crucial tool for providing high-quality healthcare to rural areas.

The importance of telehealth in delivering high-quality healthcare to rural areas was a key topic of discussion in the webinar. Bill and Dedi agreed that telehealth can significantly improve access to care in rural communities, where there is often a shortage of clinicians and healthcare facilities. Furthermore, telehealth has the potential to overcome geographical barriers and provide seamless care to patients, regardless of where they live.
Bill Gassen, CEO of Sanford Health, spoke about the unique challenges and opportunities in providing high-quality care for rural and underserved populations. “Those communities or communities is defined by the Health and Human Services as being 50,000 or fewer in any given community, and so it makes up a big part of what we do at Sanford Health,” he said. “In rural communities, many of the challenges they face or that we see faced across the healthcare industry are oftentimes more pronounced.”

As health systems strive to provide affordable and comprehensive access to care for their patient population, telehealth is taking a significant role in creating models for seamless care for people no matter where they live.

Emily Heineman

Senior Enterprise Account Manager

Telehealth initiatives are making strides in improving access to care in rural areas.

Sanford Health and TytoCare described their ongoing initiatives aimed at boosting access to care in rural regions. Sanford Health’s virtual care initiative, backed by a $350 million philanthropic investment, aims to bring world-class care to rural communities. TytoCare, meanwhile, has developed a platform that allows clinicians to conduct remote physical exams and provide comprehensive telehealth services. Bill Gassen expanded on Sanford Health’s virtual care initiative, stating, “Those challenges can manifest themselves in addition to poverty, it’s food insecurities. We know that they have a higher incidence of chronic disease. And so with that, we’ve got a hard, heavy task in front of us, but we believe that we’re positioned to do that at Sanford Health.” 

In rural communities, many of the challenges they face or that we see faced across the healthcare industry are oftentimes more pronounced.

Bill Gassen

President and CEO

Overcoming challenges and envisioning the future of telehealth in rural healthcare.

Discussing the future of telehealth in rural areas, the panelists highlighted the need for sustainable workforce, health equity, and access. They also emphasized the importance of harnessing technology to improve the quality of care and lower healthcare costs.
Bill Gassen shared Sanford Health’s vision for future rural healthcare, stating, “This is going to have a major impact across the globe. And we’re excited about what that means. We’re excited to be a part of that.” He also acknowledged the importance of ensuring equitable access to healthcare, regardless of zip code.