West Virginia as a Health Care Canary – Let’s change our health care direction!
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West Virginia as a Health Care Canary – Let’s change our health care direction!

Health care in West Virginia suggests where we are going in regards to health care. Let’s change course!

Here is an interesting article describing a concerning future of US healthcare. Using West Virginia as an indicator of things to come, it provides a sobering thought on why we each desperately need good primary care physicians.

  • Doctors who will compassionately tell you the truth, even when it is tough to hear.
  • Doctors who you can reach out to.
  • Doctors who you can get an appointment with today or tomorrow without much trouble.
  • Doctors who are free to place the patient first unencumbered by outside distractions.

I think Direct Primary Care (DPC) enables for this type of primary care system. DPC doctors know their patients, provide outstanding continuity of care, practice evidence based medicine, have time with their patients during non-rushed appointments, and can be reached easily through phone calls, texts, and email.

From the article:

The drug overdose death rate for all Americans today is where West Virginia’s rate was 10 years ago. The nation’s suicide rate is where West Virginia’s was nearly 20 years ago.

Obesity was common in West Virginia before it became widespread in the rest of the country. And life expectancy started tumbling in the Mountain State before it began falling across the U.S.

Let’s reverse the direction our nation’s health is going, choose a good primary care doctor. I suggest, choose a DPC like Anchor Direct Primary Care.