Covid worsened shortages of doctors and nurses. Five years on, rural hospitals still struggle.

Covid worsened shortages of doctors and nurses. Five years on, rural hospitals still struggle.

Even by rural hospital standards, Keokuk County Hospital and Clinics in southeastern Iowa is small.

Covid Worsened Shortages of Doctors and Nurses. Five Years On, Rural Hospitals Still Struggle.

Even by rural hospital standards, Keokuk County Hospital and Clinics in southeastern Iowa is small. The 14-bed hospital, in Sigourney, doesn’t do surgeries or deliver babies. The small 24-hour emergency room is overseen by two full-time doctors. CEO Matt Ives wants to hire a third doctor, but he said finding physicians for a rural area has been challenging since the covid-19 pandemic. He said several physicians at his hospital have retired since…