In September, Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) Assistant Vice President of Physician Practices Stormie Adkins spoke to those gathered for the 2023 Kentucky Rural Health Summit in Lexington. During her presentation, Adkins detailed the success of PMC’s telehealth services, specifically those offered to students in Pike County. More than 200 attendees listened as Adkins described the healthcare challenges faced by residents of the state’s largest and easternmost county, followed by the commitment of PMC to overcome them.
“Many people do not understand how hard it can be to access quality healthcare in a rural area,” explained Adkins. “Pike County has 486 miles of classified roads, which is the equivalent of driving one way from Pikeville to Savannah, Georgia. From several places in Pike County, the drive to Pikeville is over an hour. By utilizing advanced technology to provide telehealth services to all 19 schools in Pike County, we are, no doubt, impacting the health and lives of our students.”
