National Rural Health Day

"I started practicing in Poolesville, MD in 2006 and became a solo physician and owner of the practice in 2008. Poolesville is located in the Agricultural Reserve of western Montgomery County, surrounded by both agricultural and horse farms. It is an amazing community of about 7,000 residents just 45 minutes outside Washington DC. Though it is close to many suburban and urban centers, it is still a small town with health inequities seen in many rural areas around the country. My practice is the only medical practice in Poolesville and the surrounding rural communities, which in total have about 15,000 residents. Therefore, we are a vital health resource for our community. Even though we have expanded the practice to have a total of 3 family physicians, our community is still significantly medically underserved. This does not take away the joys of working in a small community where the work of family physicians is truly appreciated. It is a regular occurrence when going to community events or seeing a local resident in the town hardware store that we are thanked for the work we do in our community. Whenever I am told how grateful Poolesville is to have our practice, I often say, I am am the grateful one, to find such a wonderful community to work and practice my craft."

MDAFP is honored to congratulate Dr. Newmier for being awarded Rural Health Practitioner of the Year by the Maryland Rural Health Association!

"As a rural Family Physician who has practiced in Dorchester County since 1997, I am constantly reminded of the challenges my patients face in accessing care. Especially subspecialty care. Many of my patients have issues with transportation to take them to appointments with a subspecialist who may only practice at a Tertiary facility in an academic setting. However, social determinants of health that are often unique to a rural setting offer their own set of challenges. Since I started practice, my team at Rose Hill Family Physicians and I take pride in trying to identify these challenges and helping our patients get the care they need."

This day is a day to celebrate the incredible efforts of our rural family physicians. We honor the family physicians that demonstrate remarkable dedication and commitment to advancing health in their community.