Community hospitals are the backbone of many local communities in different parts of the world. There are large community hospitals, small community hospitals, and rural community hospitals. These hospitals mean the world to communities as they provide them with health care services, keep check of population health, offer communities a better patient experience, and further offer communities affordable healthcare.
Further, community hospitals offer good job training opportunities for aspiring doctors and nurses, support communities with literacy programs and immunizations. They help coordinate the community health systems. This is why small local hospitals are appreciated in the community:
They Are Numerous and Relevant
Small local hospitals are not always as sophisticated as general hospitals. This explains why there are many in number. The services offered at these hospitals are also community-oriented and they integrate most of the health needs of the local communities. These local hospitals also encourage the provision of healthcare services in a way that the community members relate with. According to community health experts in Toronto, there are many local hospitals in Toronto and they annually receive a reasonable number of patients because of the confidence that community members have in accessing healthcare services from such hospitals. Besides being many in number, local hospitals are also designed to address the individual needs of the community members.
For instance, in areas where there are high cases of drug and substance abuse, there are local rehabilitation hospitals. These hospitals also offer comprehensive health care services including educating community members on public health matters, the need for immunizations, and offering actual immunizations too. These hospitals can also offer patients literacy programs to help them prevent lifestyle diseases.
Most of these hospitals also need more healthcare personnel and thus they are more open to trainees who are often members of these local communities. The presence of local community doctors further gives the community members the confidence to seek services from such hospitals. It also enhances a feeling of ownership among community members.
Closer Proximity
Small local hospitals are so close to the communities in rural places. Community members thus appreciate these hospitals because when they visit them they experience a home atmosphere that gives them comfort and facilitates their healing. Further, in local hospitals, the community members can interact with medics in a simpler way compared to the way they would interact with medics in city hospitals. For instance, community members do not have to book appointments to see the doctors nor do they have to pay consultation fees that are unreasonably high.
Most rural hospitals also have translators in case the patients have trouble communicating with the medics. The ability of community members to express their concerns and health issues in their local dialect makes it possible for them to accurately express how they feel and thus enhance more accurate diagnostics which can translate to better treatment. Such individualized services also enhance satisfaction among patients and this makes them appreciate local hospitals more. The proximity to the community also makes it possible for doctors in small hospitals to make appropriate follow-ups of their patients and further foster better recoveries and treatments.
They Are Affordable
While local hospitals are not void of challenges like insufficient personnel, they are always designed to meet the specific needs of the community members. These needs include the economic dynamics of the community members, their social dynamics, and emotional needs too. This means that in communities where the economic status of the community members is too low, healthcare services are offered at a much lower cost.
Most local hospitals, especially those that are financed by governments and non-profit entities are affordable and this makes them suitable for all the community members despite their economic status. The government often subsidizes the health care costs in such facilities. These hospitals also serve as intermediaries between the community members and healthcare specialists. This means that patients can be referred to seek specialized healthcare services after they visit these local hospitals.
Small local hospitals are the pinnacle of healthcare services in rural environments. They are easily accessible because of their nearness to the community. The cost of accessing healthcare in these hospitals is also lower because they are often subsidized by the government. The presence of local doctors and nurses further enhances community ownership of these facilities and invokes their confidence and appreciation.
Such hospitals are also many and often they are designed to address specific community needs based on the environment within which the hospitals are situated. The hospitals offer the patients the necessary literacy knowledge and skills and this makes the community further appreciate these hospitals.