#Colorado #Rural Healthcare #NICU

The Fight for Rural Healthcare: A Family's Journey

In the picturesque town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, a family battles a dual challenge: bringing their daughter home after a lengthy stay in the NICU while grappling with the daunting realities of rural healthcare for children with complex medical needs. Amy Humble and Corey Smith's journey reflects not only their deep love for their child, Marlowe, but also the systemic issues affecting families in similar situations across rural America.

Born at just 25 weeks and weighing a little over a pound, Marlowe has endured over eight months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), undergoing procedures and surgeries that no parent would imagine facing. Now, she's a vibrant and playful toddler, but her parents are determined to secure a solid and stable future for her back in their hometown of Steamboat Springs.

Despite the town's reputation as a renowned ski resort, it, like many rural areas in Colorado, faces significant challenges in providing adequate healthcare services, especially for children with specialized needs. Families like the Smiths are finding it increasingly difficult to access the necessary care, which, in their case, includes finding a qualified pediatric nurse. The reality is stark: there are no available private duty nurses in the area, home health agencies are unwilling to accept rural cases, and the few practitioners willing to work in these communities are often limited due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates and extensive travel requirements.

Statistics reveal that over 700,000 Coloradans live in rural settings, yet a staggering number of counties lack essential healthcare providers:

• - 12 counties have no psychologist or social worker,
• - 6 counties lack dentists, and
• - 1 county has no physician at all.

This overwhelming lack of infrastructure forces families into impossible choices: remain close to the urban centers where medical help is more accessible or go back to rural homes where they long to raise their children but lack the necessary care. Amy and Corey have made a resolute choice to stay, but now they're on a mission — not only for themselves but for countless other families navigating the same challenges.

The search for a pediatric nurse, whom they refer to humorously as