Stepping off the U.S. Mainland for a Post (or More)

Posted by Allison S. Bybee

When most of us think of rural and remote areas of the United States, images of bucolic rolling hills, wide open plains, and farm houses typically fill our minds. Yet rural existence has quite a different meaning for those living on the remote Pacific islands of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. These islands, with their varying degrees of American association, present numerous challenges for the provision of rural and remote health care. During the next few weeks, this blog will look at the rural and remote health care needs, actors, and policies that affect the residents of these “American” islands.