Rural healthcare has been a growing topic in the state of Alabama.
There’s a couple of unique barriers with rural healthcare such as cost, physician shortages and access care. Access to care can look like lack of transportation and the distance of hospitals or other medical clinics for patients. Lake Martin Family Medicine's Dr. Ben Chappell said this is a statewide issue and, looking around the state, rural hospitals are closing, which creates a big risk for patients.
However, people in the community can help. For one, people can advocate for more programs to mediate these issues by reaching out to their local representative. Another way to help support is to use local doctors when you can. It’s the same idea as shop local; when you frequent local places, it supports local services.
Chappell said he is not advocating for people to change doctors if they aren’t local, but if you have the ability to use your local doctor’s offices, hospitals and clinics it helps. Chappell acknowledged many rural hospitals, like Lake Martin Community Hospital, won’t have specialty doctors. They still offer a lot of services locally including cancer screenings and inpatient care at the hospital. Lake Martin Community Hospital can also refer patients to places like UAB.
“We are here to be the jumping off point, if you need more specialized care we can get you there,” Chappell said. “Using us as what we are intended for, that first contact, is something the community can continue to do, and I think they do very well.”
Another barrier is cost. Even those with insurance are feeling the weight of high drug prices. Chappell said it’s both a state and national issue and doctors on both levels are advocating more affordable drug prices for patients.
Lastly, another big part of rural healthcare is growing and retaining physicians. There’s a couple of programs that are helping like the Rural Medical Scholars Program at Auburn University and University of Alabama, medical scholarships and the rural physician tax credit. Chappell said for a lot of future rural physicians, rural healthcare is something they are already passionate about, but these programs help make it a more viable career path.
For Chappell, it was a collection of experiences that inspired him to go into rural healthcare. To start, he had aging grandparents and saw the need for healthcare in rural areas as an Alexander City native. He also always had an interest in the sciences. Then when he got to locally job shadow, it sealed the deal. During the shadowing process, he got to see firsthand the relationship rural physicians build with their patients.
With rural medicine, Chappell said you also get to know people outside of the medical office. When you stay in one community, you get to treat multiple generations. You take care of one patient and a few years later you might also be taking care of their kids. It’s about the connections you make, Chappell said.
If you don’t trust your doctor or don’t have confidence in them, he said that’s going to affect your treatment course. Doctors are there to give guidance and recommendations but it’s up to the patients what they choose to take and use.
“At the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to is the relationship between the doctor and the patient,” Chappell said. “I think that’s the basis of healing in a lot of ways.”
Trust also speaks to wider issues in the medical community, and the reduction of vaccine rates seems to be linked to this erosion of trust. For instance, the CDC saw a decrease in flu vaccine doses distribution during the 2024-2025 flu season compared to previous years.
“We are here because we want to help our communities and we want them to be well,” Chappell said.
He added self education from reputable sources is important but also have conversations with your doctor about these things too. People’s goal is to be well, and doctors are there to support that goal by providing recommendations and respecting your autonomy.
