For many, the joys of living in a rural community are numerous – wide open spaces, peace and quiet, fewer crimes, living life at a slower pace. But there can be a price tag for these benefits. Rural communities typically face a different set of challenges when it comes to healthcare. These challenges include an aging population, a higher proportion of chronic health conditions, a lack of healthcare providers and citizens who are often uninsured or under-insured. November 18 is Rural Health Day, according to the North Carolina Office of Rural Health. The day is designed to “Celebrate the Power of Rural” by honoring those who work tirelessly to address the healthcare challenges rural citizens face. Stephen Fife, President of Bladen County Hospital, is a member of that team. Fife understands the special needs of those in rural settings very well. “Compared to more urban areas, we have a higher proportion of patients in our community with chronic health conditions, such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension.” Fife said. “It’s important that we recruit and retain quality providers and staff so we can manage the care of these patients.” Cape Fear Valley Health’s Bladen County Hospital is at the heart of the Bladen County healthcare community. Located in the county seat of Elizabethtown, Bladen County Hospital is classified as a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), a distinction that is rare. There are just 20 CAHs in North Carolina, and only 1,350 in the U.S. The designation of CAH is given by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare. To be considered a CAH, a hospital must be in a rural area, at least 35 miles away from another hospital. They must also staff 25 beds or fewer, operate a 24-hour Emergency Department and maintain an average length of patient stay of less than 96 hours for acute patients. One benefit of being designated a CAH is that the hospital qualifies for reimbursements for some operating costs related to Medicare and Medicaid patients. “Our reimbursement model certainly helps stabilize the financials,” Fife said. “It’s an extra layer of security, but we still have to operate as efficiently as we can to avoid incurring losses.” Fife and his team are proud to offer quality patient care in a small-town setting with the resources of a large health system. In operation since 1952, the hospital offers 25 beds, a 24-hour Emergency Department, 23-bed Medical Surgical Unit and a 4-bed Intensive Care Unit. The surgical suite offers the latest in laparoscopic surgeries and their imaging department offers the latest technology such as 3D digital mammography, mobile MRI and more. The hospital also has a consultation center available on campus, where specialists in podiatry, cardiology and more cycle through to see patients who might otherwise need to travel out of the county to receive care. Another benefit to being designated a CAH is that the hospital may apply for certain grants. Bladen County Hospital recently received a three-year grant from the Office of Rural Health. Fife plans to use the grant to fund the hiring of an advanced practitioner (a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner) and support staff who can go out into the community and do outreach visits to those who are unable to visit their healthcare provider. “If a patient has missed appointments, we will make an appointment to go see them,” Fife said, “The aim of the program is to provide folks in our community another means of accessing healthcare. Some simply may not be able to arrange travel to appointments. Others may need someone to set them up with our patient portal, myChart, and be shown how to conduct a telemedicine visit. It’s the first program of its kind in the county.”Cape Fear Valley Health and Bladen County Hospital are making quality healthcare accessible to rural residents by consistently adding more services and locations to the residents of Bladen County.“We are about to open our 10th outpatient clinic,” said Fife. “It will be a family medicine clinic, and we anticipate opening in the next two to three months. "The new clinic will join five other family medicine clinics – located in Bladenboro, Clarkton, Dublin, Elizabethtown and White Lake – as well as Bladen Kids’ Care, Bladen Surgical Services, Women’s Health Specialists and Bladen Express Care. Express Care, located across the street from the hospital’s Emergency Department, is open seven days a week for those urgent medical needs that aren’t severe enough to require the Emergency Department. For 69 years, Bladen County Hospital has cared for the residents of Bladen County and the surrounding areas. It may be in a rural area, but Fife is determined that Bladen County Hospital and its associated clinics provide the same quality of care you would find in any urban hospital, all while offering the warm feeling you get when neighbors are caring for neighbors. That is what truly. Makes Bladen County Hospital so special. "It’s the people,” Fife said. “The 300 employees of Bladen County Hospital and the compassionate care they provide to the community are what makes this place special.”