Dec. 3, 2018
As the executive director of the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, Teryl Eisinger knows the challenges faced by rural communities when it comes to access to health care and other services – and the importance of using business aviation to meet the needs of people in those areas.
“Distances between cities in these regions are long, and there is often insufficient access to specialty medical care,” Eisinger wrote in an op-ed piece published in the Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail newspaper. “Many people do not realize the critical role that general aviation plays every day in providing public health services in rural communities across the country.”
Around the country, offices of rural health, are tasked with helping their communities improve health delivery systems by coordinating rural health activity and making information available to residents. Fortunately, general aviation helps connect and aid communities, especially in remote and underserved communities, Eisinger said, providing examples from around the country of how business aviation is vital to this effort.
Eisinger also said many charitable organizations rely on volunteer pilots to support patients in need. With most specialized medical centers often located in major cities, volunteers play an important role in ensuring that patients from rural areas are able to access the healthcare they need.
“General aviation holds the solution to many of the access-related problems that are faced in providing these services and makes a tangible difference in the lives of rural families every day,” she added.