Rural Healthcare Innovation with St. Croix Regional Medical Center

The past year of challenges amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the importance of healthcare access to the forefront of the conversation. But those who live in rural communities can face a variety of barriers to receiving proper health care. According to the CDC, rural Americans make up about 15 percent of the U.S. population, and are more likely than their urban counterparts to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke. St. Croix Regional Medical Center (SCRMC), located in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, has been an innovative leader in rural healthcare access. Heading into 2020, CEO Dave Dobosenski was leading SCRMC in a new direction, with a new mission, vision, and values. Then came the pandemic. Within a 3-week window, SCRMC shut down elective care to conserve PPE, developed a drive-through respiratory screening clinic, and created a virtual care visit platform. This rapid innovation didn't stop their longterm strategic plan, just delayed it slightly. On the latest episode of Build Me Up, Kraus-Anderson Vice President of Strategy & Innovation Tom Emison and SCRMC CEO Dave Dobosenski sit down to discuss rural healthcare access and strategic innovation planning amidst a global pandemic.