First in Future: Head of Rural Initiative for UNC School of Medicine Dr. Robert Bashford

Summary:  Seventy out of eighty rural North Carolina counties are described as “medical deserts”, meaning they have no primary care doctors. Finding solutions to rural health care is a big, complicated problem with many experts throughout the state weighing in on possible fixes. One such expert is Dr. Robert Bashford of the Rural Initiative at the UNC School of Medicine. He is a former OB-GYN, practicing psychiatric, and the former admissions director of the UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Bashford is trying to reimagine what a new health care team could look like in rural counties, and this week on First in Future he talks to IEI Director Leslie Boney about his ideas.

This installment of First in Future is part of a special TV series produced in collaboration with UNC-TV, and is recorded in UNC-TV’s Studios. Taped segments will air on the North Carolina Channel. Visit www.ncchannel.org/schedule/ for specific air dates.

Listen to the podcast: