Is That Deductible? Making A Difference In The Growing Rural Health Crisis

This week, I’m diving into a topic close to my heart: how my winter-spring locums work not only fulfills my sense of mission but also offers a surprising array of business deductions. It’s an exciting mix of impactful healthcare work and entrepreneurial savvy.

The rural physician shortage is having a catastrophic impact on the health of communities across the U.S. As November 21st marked Rural Health Day with a theme of Advancing Maternal Health in Rural Communities, I want to share how I am personally addressing this crisis through my professional commitments and innovative solutions. These efforts are focused on revitalizing healthcare in rural America, where the need is urgent.

The Rural Health Crisis

Sixty-five percent of rural communities face a shortage of primary care doctors, with rural areas having only one-tenth of the providers available in metropolitan areas. The consequences are dire: rural residents are more likely to die prematurely from preventable causes like heart disease, as reported by the CDC. Additionally, over half of U.S. rural counties lack hospital obstetric services, endangering maternal and infant health.

As someone who has served rural populations for decades, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges these communities face. The collapse of local healthcare systems threatens not only individual well-being but also the fabric of these communities.

My Strategies to Address Rural Healthcare Challenges

1. Providing Rural Locum Tenens FM-OB Services

As a rural locum family medicine and obstetrics physician, I offer critical care in underserved areas. Locums work allows me to fill gaps in staffing, ensuring that rural hospitals and clinics can keep their doors open and provide essential services like prenatal care, deliveries, and primary care. This approach prevents the collapse of critical healthcare infrastructure while alleviating burnout among permanent staff. If you are contemplating locums I recommend you connect with Weatherby as I have a great experience with them.

Read More:

• Navigating Locum Tenens Contracts: A Physician’s Guide

• What Makes an Ideal Locums Candidate?

• Early Career Locum Tenens: Your Path to Clinical Growth and Financial Freedom

For patients in these communities, a dependable physician presence means fewer barriers to care, shorter wait times, and improved health outcomes.

2. Innovating with ChatRx: An Asynchronous Telehealth Solution

I developed ChatRx, an asynchronous telehealth app designed to provide fast, reliable treatment for 32 acute infections without the need for an in-person visit. Through a chat-based interface, rural patients can safely access care from their homes, which will help save lives due to early treatment of infections.

This tool empowers patients to manage common conditions like urinary tract infections or sinusitis without losing time or money traveling long distances. It also reduces the strain on already overburdened local healthcare systems, freeing up resources for more complex cases.

By harnessing technology, ChatRx bridges the geographic gap between patients and providers, making quality care accessible to even the most remote areas. This innovation directly addresses the disparity in rural healthcare access, offering an affordable, scalable solution for acute medical needs.

Why This Work Matters to Rural America

Preserving Community Health

Access to healthcare is the backbone of thriving communities. When rural areas lose access to physicians, residents face delayed diagnoses, untreated illnesses, and worsening chronic conditions. My efforts aim to keep these communities healthy and vibrant by ensuring that essential services remain available.

Addressing Systemic Challenges

Rural healthcare doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Declining reimbursement rates, skyrocketing medical debt, and limited access to residency programs for training rural physicians have contributed to this crisis. While systemic reforms are necessary, my work provides immediate relief for underserved areas.

Empowering Rural Patients

Whether it’s through locum work or innovative telehealth solutions like ChatRx, my goal is to empower rural patients to take charge of their health. They deserve care that is not only accessible but also tailored to the unique challenges of rural living.

The Financial and Logistical Side

While the missional aspect of locums work is what drives me, the financial side is an added benefit. Locums work has become a valuable income channel in my semi-retired state, providing flexibility and opportunities to fund other ventures, like SimpliMD and ChatRx.

Working locums also makes me deeply appreciative of my home office setup, which is a fully deductible business expense. My home office infrastructure allows me to manage all the necessary paperwork, contracts, and communications seamlessly. From negotiating locums terms to scheduling shifts, having a dedicated, tax-deductible workspace has been a game-changer for productivity.

Staying Productive at 35,000 Feet

What truly underscored the importance of business deductions recently was a unique experience during my CME trip to Egypt. Is That Deductible? Exploring Egypt with CME Away. While flying business class, I was able to stay productive using the onboard Wi-Fi and texting services to finalize arrangements for my upcoming locums work. The 10-hour flight became a mobile office, enabling me to handle time-sensitive negotiations with Weatherby and confirm my locums schedule.

While some might see business class flights as a luxury, for me, they’re a necessary business expense. The comfort allows me to rest and arrive ready to work, while the connectivity transforms travel time into productive hours. This ensures I’m able to serve my clients—and rural communities—without skipping a beat.

Why It Matters

The physician shortage in rural areas is solvable, but it requires action on multiple fronts. Investing in residency programs, telehealth, locum tenens staffing, and payment reform are all vital. On a personal level, I’m committed to being part of the solution by providing direct care through locum services and leveraging technology to expand access.

Locums work is a win-win for rural communities and physicians like me. It helps address critical care gaps while offering flexibility and financial benefits for doctors. At the same time, business deductions like my home office and business class flights make this work sustainable, reducing the financial burden of travel and infrastructure.

As I prepare for this next chapter, I’m reminded of how entrepreneurial thinking enables me to combine purpose and profit. Whether it’s treating patients in a rural clinic or managing a business from a plane, every decision is intentional, impactful, and—yes—deductible.

Have questions about what’s deductible in your entrepreneurial journey? Reach out—I’d love to help you think like an entrepreneur and maximize your opportunities through a micro-business consultation for only $99.