Whole-person and whole-family care is a widely adopted healthcare model, but it's of critical importance to providers in rural and underserved communities. Many patients do not have multiple options available to them, but there is always a percentage who can afford to go elsewhere. High-quality integrated care helps keep patients of all income levels in a closer orbit, with better outcomes.
Ensuring those who can choose to go elsewhere choose to stay local is a challenge of organizational culture and an important branding opportunity. Rural healthcare brands need to be friendly and approachable, but also need to convey sufficient levels of professionalism and polish to retain a broad spectrum of patients and successfully recruit highly-skilled providers.