 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Peter C. Olden, PhD, Graduate Health Administration Program, University of Scranton, Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18510, 570 941 4242, oldenp1@uofs.edu and Steven J. Szydlowski, MHA, Healthy Northeast Pennsylvania Initiative, c/o Allied Services, 100 Abington Executive Park, Clarks Summit, PA 18411.
The American population has widely prevalent health problems associated with behavior, lifestyle, and social determinants of health. This is important for rural communities because health status in rural communities has lagged behind the U.S. in general. The Department of Health and Human Services in its Healthy People 2010 called for elimination of health disparities among geographic locations, noting the lower levels of health and health care in rural areas. The American health care system has been shifting toward more health promotion services to help people reduce behavioral and social health risks and thereby improve their health. In rural areas, the organization and delivery of health services depends upon rural hospitals. Because these hospitals are usually one of only a few health institutions in the rural areas, they have essential roles in community efforts to improve rural lifestyles and health. Although some rural hospitals deliver many services and programs for this purpose, others do not. Rural health stakeholders should understand why rural hospitals do (or do not) provide services to improve rural lifestyles and health. Rural hospital CEOs greatly influence decisions about which services their hospitals offer and whether or not their hospitals offer services to improve lifestyles and health status. Researchers used case study interviews to investigate rural hospital CEOs' perspectives about why rural hospitals do or do not provide services to improve rural lifestyles and health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the hospital CEO at nine rural hospitals in the largely rural northeastern quadrant of Pennsylvania. The interviews were supplemented by examination of documents such as annual reports, mission statements, and health education brochures. The results suggest four major reasons why rural hospitals do or do not provide health promotion services: (1) local external environment; (2) hospital strategic direction; (3) resource availability; and, (4) specific individuals. These research findings increase understanding of rural hospitals in the organization and delivery of services to improve rural lifestyles and health. The findings have implications for hospital executives, health providers, public policy officials, health researchers, and others concerned with rural health and the rural health care delivery system.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Rural Health Care Delivery System, Health Promotion
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Disclosure: This research is based on research at nine rural hospitals whose health services will be referred to but not by hospital name.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.