COLOR CODE

STAT’s bi-weekly podcast, hosted by award-winning journalist and host Nicholas St. Fleur, weaves together stories and experiences of physicians, patients, historians, and other experts to illuminate the history of racism in the health care system and how it has — and continues — to impact people of color and underserved communities. Sign up to get notified each time a new episode drops, and subscribe today on Apple, Spotify, Pocket, Overcast, Soundcloud, Google, and Podcast Addict. This podcast was made possible with support from the Commonwealth Fund https://www.statnews.com/category/color-code/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=275436977&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9JZMFNZ99yQFDxSBrn9zoHLXk1s6dtXXtp4fsgKTkAOoiFUpGQEQ3LXLPukle6HGVGv7oWfCJLULNwc-GF714KC-8mpA&utm_content=275436977&utm_source=hs_email Physician Jennifer McKenney never knows what she might see in her rural emergency room in Fredonia, Kansas, where she is 80 miles from the nearest city. Rattlesnake bites, car accidents, toothaches — anything is possible, and sometimes she’s the only one there to deal with it. For decades, rural areas like Fredonia have been facing a physician shortage. More than 46 million Americans, or 15% of the U.S. population, live in rural areas, but only 10% of doctors serve in these communities. In the first video of a special series focused on rural health, special projects editor Hyacinth Empinado explores how we got here — hint: it might have something to do with the Flexner Report, which Hyacinth and I first learned about while working on Color Code — and how the deficit might be addressed. Watch the video.