TRANSCRIPT
Interviewer: Your twin babies were born prematurely and they stayed for 9 weeks in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. How far did you travel every day from your home to the hospital?
Jessica: Everyday, I drove about 30 minutes, down the mountain, through the forest to the hospital to visit them.
Jessica: While we were there, I saw other families with babies who were transferred from much farther away in surrounding, more rural locations because this was the only Level III NICU in the area.
Jessica: They likely had to travel much, much further everyday to visit their babies.
EVIDENCE & RESEARCH
Rural Americans face numerous health disparities compared with their urban counterparts.
They also have less access to healthcare and are less likely to have health insurance.
In this story, some of the babies in the NICU did not have a facility near their home that provided the level of care that they needed.
Location:
California, United States
Date:
2022
Barriers to Public Health: Financial Constraints, Health Care Provider Shortage, Location of facilities, Cost of Care
HEALTH CONVERSATIONS: When Aware We Care 