WVU in the News: Experts weigh MAHA programs targeting rural health

Although experts generally support the stated goals of programs targeting rural areas in HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, many have questioned whether the actual policies are up to the task.

“Overall, the growing attention on rural health care and the barriers faced by rural residents is music to our ears,” Rebecca J. Schmidt, DO, FACP, FASN, assistant dean for rural outreach and community engagement, and professor of medicine in the division of nephrology, at West Virginia University School of Medicine, told Healio. “It is refreshing to note that the problems with access to care for rural residents are being recognized and that efforts to address access to care issues have entered the national dialogue.”

The program also includes provisions to upgrade the rural clinical workforce, drive structural efficiency and empower community providers, modernize rural health infrastructure and technology, and advance innovative care models and payment reform, according to the statement.

“In general, the need for a nationwide commitment to strengthen rural health care cannot be overemphasized,” Bethany Pellegrino, MD, division chief of nephrology and nephrology fellowship program director at the West Virginia University School of Medicine, said in an interview. “The components of this initiative are noble and signify the recognition that health care in rural America, particularly that which addresses chronic illness, could be greatly improved.”