As a diagnostic physicist for CAMP serving rural hospitals across Western Colorado and New Mexico, Steve Jackson has discovered something that might surprise you: remote healthcare facilities often deliver healthcare that matches what you’ll find in major cities.
“Rural healthcare does not mean subpar healthcare. There’s a lot of grit. There’s a lot of hard work, and there’s a lot of willingness to take on extra roles to provide a high level of care. In fact, a lot of the people that I work with have some skills that go above and beyond,” Jackson states.
The Enhanced Skill Sets That Define Rural Healthcare Excellence
Multi-Specialty Expertise in Rural Hospital Settings
Rural healthcare professionals routinely develop capabilities that rival those of their urban counterparts. The lower patient volumes in rural hospitals don’t translate to reduced complexity. Instead, they require staff members to master multiple specialties and take on diverse responsibilities.
“You might be managing a radiology department, but also managing the sleep lab,” Jackson explains.
This cross-training necessity creates healthcare professionals with broader knowledge bases and more versatile skill sets than typically found in specialized urban departments.
Advanced Technical Capabilities in Rural Nuclear Medicine
The technical expertise required in rural nuclear medicine exemplifies this enhanced capability model. While urban facilities often receive pre-prepared radioactive doses with patient labels already attached, rural nuclear medicine technologists must prepare these doses themselves.
“For a cardiac study, they actually have to come in in the morning, milk the generator, get their bulk technetium, and then mix that into the cardiac drug that they’re going to use for their study for the patient,” Jackson describes.
This requires nuclear medicine technologists to essentially function as specialized pharmacies, applying advanced technical skills that blend formal education with extensive hands-on training.
Addressing Geographic Challenges Through Innovation and Planning
Coverage Area Realities for Rural Healthcare
The geography of rural healthcare also presents unique logistical challenges. Jackson’s coverage area spans four to five hours of travel, requiring careful coordination for specialized procedures.
“When you look at that from having even just a diagnostic medical physicist, if something happens or you need your physicist, that person is four hours away at a minimum.”
There have been times Jackson has to make the call between assisting a situation remotely rather than spending time driving to the site then assisting. This geographic reality means rural hospitals can’t operate on the same timeline as urban facilities. When a specialized procedure requires coordination between multiple experts, everything must be planned weeks or months in advance.
Specialist Recruitment: Rural Healthcare’s Persistent Challenge
Finding and retaining specialist physicians remains one of rural healthcare’s most significant obstacles.
“It’s something we battle a lot,” Jackson acknowledges. “Getting specialist physicians to do something like Y90 liver cancer treatment takes a very specifically trained physician to do that work. And not only would that person have to have the credentials, but they also have to believe in that therapy and want to pursue it.”
The recruitment challenge extends beyond just finding qualified professionals; rural hospitals need specialists who are genuinely committed to the treatments they’ll be providing. Losing a skilled specialist is especially disruptive for rural facilities.
“When you lose somebody good, it’s going to be painful to replace that person just because there isn’t somebody waiting to fill their spot,” Jackson explains.
This reality means that patients requiring highly specialized treatments often face the choice between traveling several hours to urban centers or going without specific therapeutic options entirely. Even for more common specialties like radiology, the national shortage of professionals makes rural recruitment increasingly competitive.
Technology Infrastructure: Dispelling Rural Healthcare Myths
Contrary to common assumptions about rural hospital technology limitations, modern rural healthcare facilities maintain sophisticated infrastructure comparable to urban centers.
“The internet connectivity is [historically the issue], and I don’t see that being an obstacle at this point. In 2025, I do think that high-speed connectivity, where we can have a cloud-based operation for reading patient images or sending patient images to places they need to go, is coming out of being an issue.”
Rural hospitals are successfully implementing remote reading capabilities, cloud-based operations, and telemedicine services. However, the specialized support required to maintain these systems creates unique staffing needs.
The Critical Role of PACS IT Specialists
While technology access may be equivalent, rural hospitals face distinct challenges in maintaining specialized IT support. Jackson emphasizes the crucial importance of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) IT professionals:
“Having a skilled IT, specifically radiology IT person, is very, very important. It’s not just this person that understands healthcare IT and all that comes with that, including security, but that understands the applications of that in radiology specifically.”
These specialists possess highly specific skill sets that make them indispensable to rural hospital operations.
“They end up being super integral to the operations of the radiology department,” Jackson notes, comparing their behind-the-scenes role to that of medical physicists. “When you need them, they’re the only person that could solve your problem.”
The growing trend toward remote radiology services makes these IT specialists even more valuable. As rural hospitals increasingly connect with radiologists reading studies from central locations or home offices, PACS IT support becomes essential for maintaining regulatory compliance, particularly for specialized imaging like mammography that requires specifically regulated monitors.
Building Trust and Long-Term Partnerships in Rural Communities
The Importance of Local Presence
Rural healthcare success depends heavily on building authentic community relationships. Jackson’s experience illustrates this principle. He was advised on his first day to abandon his Dallas business attire in favor of jeans at the office.
“There is certainly a period of you proving to them that you’re there to support them,” Jackson notes. “People in rural communities are proud of where they come from and proud of the communities they live in.”
Healthcare staff need assurance that new partnerships will provide consistent, reliable support rather than temporary solutions that disappear when contracts change or companies restructure. However, once trust is established, rural healthcare partnerships tend to be more stable and long-lasting than urban relationships.
CAMP’s Approach to Rural Healthcare Support
CAMP’s decision to base Jackson permanently in Durango rather than rotating specialists demonstrates understanding of rural healthcare dynamics.
“To CAMP’s credit, I think they realized that to effectively support clients in rural Colorado and rural New Mexico, they needed to have someone out here,” Jackson notes.
This approach contrasts sharply with larger national companies that might send different representatives for each visit.
“Folks know that I am their physicist. I’m there to support their department and they know who to call when they have an issue,” Jackson explains. “There is some continuity there that I think people value, especially in rural places.”
This level of personal recognition and trust doesn’t develop through rotating staff or remote relationships. It requires consistent presence, reliability, and genuine investment in the community’s success. Jackson able to lean on a support system through CAMP as well. He is connected to a broader team of medical physicists who can provide additional depth and backup when needed through CAMP’s “Strength in Numbers” core value.
High Utilization and Quality Standards in Rural Hospitals
Demand Exceeds Capacity in Rural Healthcare
Rural hospitals aren’t the quiet, half-empty facilities many people imagine.
Jackson describes MRI facilities where “they’re definitely scheduling patients two months out, and they’re booked seven [am] to seven [pm], six days a week.”
This high utilization demonstrates strong community trust and medical necessity rather than limited options.
For patients requiring specialized imaging, geographic constraints mean fewer facility choices, but this concentration of demand ensures that rural hospitals maintain high procedure volumes and expertise levels in their available services.
Quality Standards Match Urban Facilities
Rural hospitals maintain the same regulatory compliance and quality standards as urban medical centers.
“On a base level, meeting a standard of care, I have never seen anything that I would be scared to get my care there, or I wouldn’t send my family there,” Jackson emphasizes.
The difference lies not in quality standards but in the breadth of services available locally. Patients requiring highly specialized treatments may need to travel to urban centers, but for standard medical care, rural hospitals provide equivalent quality with often more personalized attention.
Why Healthcare Professionals Choose Rural Practice
Professional Advantages of Rural Healthcare Careers
Rural healthcare offers unique professional development opportunities unavailable in urban settings. The necessity of wearing multiple hats creates more well-rounded healthcare professionals with diverse skill sets and greater autonomy in their roles.
“Once you find the people, it tends to be a longer tenure of employee because you’re finding people who are there for a reason,” Jackson observes. “”Once you get people in positions, I think they tend to stay for a long time when they’ve found the community that they want to be a part of.”
This professional satisfaction stems from meaningful work variety and stronger patient relationships.
Quality of Life Benefits
The lifestyle advantages of rural healthcare practice extend beyond professional satisfaction. Jackson’s daily commute through Colorado’s San Juan Mountains illustrates how geographic challenges can transform into quality of life benefits.
“I watched the sun just on the top of this mountain and there’s a waterfall and a creek coming down. It’s so beautiful. I thought to myself ‘I’m driving to work right now. I’m getting paid right now’,” he describes, highlighting how rural practice can offer experiences impossible in urban healthcare settings.
The Future of Rural Healthcare Excellence
Remote Capabilities Expanding Access
Technological advances continue expanding rural healthcare capabilities through remote services. Radiologists can now provide expert interpretation from central locations while maintaining quality standards through regulated monitor setups and physicist oversight.
This evolution allows rural hospitals to access specialized expertise while maintaining their community presence and personalized care approach.
Continued Commitment to Quality
Rural hospitals demonstrate that healthcare excellence isn’t determined by location but by the dedication and expertise of the professionals who choose to serve these communities.
“There is high quality healthcare happening on the Western slope of Colorado and Western New Mexico, serving populations that really don’t have a lot of options, and that comes from the people. From the fact that they really care about what they’re doing.”
Conclusion: Redefining Rural Healthcare Excellence
The narrative around rural hospitals requires a rewrite. Rather than viewing these facilities as compromise solutions for underserved populations, we should recognize them as centers of healthcare innovation where professionals develop enhanced skills, maintain high quality standards, and provide personalized care within supportive community environments.
Steve Jackson’s perspective challenges us to reconsider our assumptions about rural healthcare quality and recognize the sophisticated expertise, advanced planning, and genuine dedication that characterize rural hospital operations. For healthcare professionals seeking meaningful careers and patients requiring quality medical care, rural hospitals represent not a second choice, but often the optimal choice for comprehensive, personalized healthcare delivery.
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FAQ: Rural Hospital Imaging
Q: Do rural hospitals provide the same imaging quality as urban hospitals?
A: Yes. Rural hospitals in Colorado and New Mexico follow the same imaging standards and regulations as large academic centers. Diagnostic physicists perform quality control on CT, X-ray, and mammography systems to ensure accuracy and patient safety.
Q: What are the biggest challenges for rural hospitals in diagnostic imaging?
A: Distance and staffing are the main challenges. Patients may travel hours for advanced procedures, and hospitals often rely on cross-trained staff who wear multiple hats. Recruiting and keeping specialist radiologists and physicians is also difficult.
Q: How do rural hospitals manage nuclear medicine?
A: Many rural sites prepare their own nuclear medicine doses in-house using a technetium generator. This requires specialized training and oversight by medical physicists to ensure radiation safety and proper dosing.
Q: Why is PACS IT important in rural healthcare?
A: PACS/IT specialists maintain the imaging systems that allow radiologists to read scans remotely. They ensure compliance with strict regulations for mammography monitors and keep data secure in cloud-based workflows.
Q: How does CAMP support rural hospitals?
A: CAMP assigns local physicists to rural hospitals, providing consistent on-site support and fast responses. CAMP also helps with licensing, advanced procedure planning, and quality assurance for remote radiology and nuclear medicine programs.
Q: What misconceptions exist about rural healthcare?
A: A common misconception is that rural healthcare is “second class.” In reality, rural hospital teams are highly skilled, often cross-trained, and committed to delivering safe, modern imaging with the same standards as larger centers.
