For most of my life, I’ve lived in energetic urban areas like Albuquerque, N.M., Orlando, Fla., and Chicago, but I’ve also spent considerable time on my family’s 500-acre ranch where the nearest neighbors are miles away and the closest hospital can be a two-hour drive. This blend of urban and rural living has profoundly shaped my understanding of the healthcare disparities faced by rural communities. Challenges like limited availability of healthcare providers, significant travel distances and inadequate broadband connectivity, which are essential for telehealth, are realities I’ve witnessed firsthand.
As the chair of the New Mexico Telehealth Alliance, I’m actively involved in the group’s efforts to bridge technological innovation with healthcare accessibility. The alliance operates one of the largest consortiums in the country that includes healthcare organizations from Hawaii to Connecticut. It prioritizes equitable telehealth access by securing vital broadband funding from the Universal Service Administrative Co., which is overseen by the Federal Communications Commission. This funding significantly improves infrastructure in rural areas, enabling better telehealth capabilities and access to critical patient data through cloud-based electronic health records and health information exchanges.
Recently, the alliance was involved in analyzing telehealth use across New Mexico, funded by the state’s Office of Broadband Access and Expansion. This analysis highlighted key barriers including inadequate broadband, provider hesitancy and digital literacy gaps, especially in rural, frontier and tribal regions. Solutions like remote patient monitoring, mobile health apps and teleconsultations help address these disparities by offering timely medical attention and preventive care, which reduces travel needs and improves health education. We found that urban areas use more telehealth in total, but the rural areas had a higher penetration of telehealth use per capita.
Technology integration is essential for equitable healthcare delivery, especially among minority and underserved populations. Programs such as L.A. Care’s eConsult electronically connected primary care providers to specialists, which significantly reduced specialist wait times and logistical barriers. It allowed them to serve 50,000 eConsults to 2,000 primary care physicians in only a few years of operation. These helped low income, underserved and disadvantaged patients access 30 different specialties.
North Carolina’s Statewide Telepsychiatry Program similarly demonstrates how telehealth can effectively address mental health challenges for rural, high-risk people by providing consistent, accessible psychiatric care, improving overall community wellness. Ninety-four counties in the state are mental health shortage areas with a low availability of mental health professionals. This work has generated cost savings while reducing the burden on patients, psychiatric facilities, hospitals, law enforcement and private payers.
Health entities like Apicha Community Health Center in New York City and Folx Health exemplify the potential of culturally responsive technological solutions. Apicha provides multilingual digital platforms and culturally competent care specifically designed for LGBTQ+ individuals and people of color. Folx Health similarly offers virtual healthcare tailored specifically for LGBTQ+ patients, ensuring personalized, affirming and accessible care. Both organizations effectively support marginalized populations, which significantly improves patient engagement, commitment to treatment plans and health outcomes.
I’m particularly inspired when healthcare organizations integrate roles like chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer; chief health equity officer; and chief innovation officer. This holistic approach ensures that equity and innovation are embedded into healthcare solutions, breaking down silos and responding more effectively to the diverse needs of underserved communities. Even well-intentioned healthcare leaders may overlook systemic disparities due to blind spots stemming from homogeneous leadership structures. Inclusive leadership provides critical insights into the lived realities of diverse populations, leading to more comprehensive and compassionate care.
My diverse experiences as a behavioral healthcare provider, a caregiver, an IT professional, fiancé to a deaf partner, and being a part of and advocating for LGBTQ+ issues have profoundly shaped my perspective. These experiences emphasize the importance of culturally sensitive, empathetic and inclusive healthcare solutions tailored to marginalized communities’ unique needs.
As we celebrate Pride Month and look forward, we must recognize and address the ongoing healthcare challenges faced by LGBTQ+ and other underserved communities. Through collective, empathetic action leveraging diverse experiences and innovative technology, we can drive sustained improvements, making equitable healthcare a reality for everyone.
Stetson Berg is digital strategy and innovation manager, CVS Health, Albuquerque, N.M., and an ACHE member.