There are many great things about living in rural communities. Across a broad range of healthcare indicators though, our children in rural America are doing more poorly urban areas — higher all-cause mortality rates, higher disability rates, higher rates of obesity and higher risks for suicide and unintentional injury. More than 50% of rural counties in the United States do not have a pediatrician and the number of patients per physician and healthcare professional shortage areas is twice that of a traditional urban area.

What is it like to practice and take care of kids in a more rural setting? In this episode we will discuss rural and tertiary care bridges with Bird Gilmartin, MD.

Dr. Gilmartin is the Pediatric Medical Director at Uinta Medical Group in Evanston, Wyoming. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Early Career Physicians and was the recipient of the AAP's 2019 Award for Outstanding Service to Maltreated Children.

Do you have thoughts about this episode or suggestions for a future topic? Write to us, chartingpediatrics@childrenscolorado.org