By Alison Risk, RN – Contributing Writer

I’ve spent enough shifts in the ER to know that access to care is about whether patients can get seen at all. So when I hear that trillion-dollar cuts to Medicaid are on the horizon, I think about the patients who are already driving an hour for care that used to be down the road and what happens to them when that access shrinks further.

Access has always been the defining issue in rural health and it’s about to be tested. Recently, the “Rural Health Transformation Program” was granted a $50 billion, five-year fund to help improve access to healthcare and with it, patient outcomes, in rural areas. The program falls under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a response to the more than 100 rural hospitals that have closed in the past decade. According to the nonprofit Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment, a third more of these hospitals are at risk of closing next.

That’s the backdrop I carry into every shift and it’s why I’ve paid close attention to what artificial intelligence is actually starting to do for rural patients.

AI in rural health can transform how care is delivered to elderly patients, in particular, by improving access to disease screening and early detection. Remote monitoring is a big part of that: facilities in larger towns can now monitor rural patients through wearable sensors, catching problems before they become emergencies. BettrAi’s virtual visit platform bridges the gap between convenience and quality, enabling meaningful interactions when and where patients need them.

BettrAi has built a program specifically to close these gaps. From remote monitoring of high-risk patients to population health and employee wellness programs, BettrAi ensures precision in care delivery, financial efficiency, and improved outcomes. With funding shrinking and access already stretched thin, technology like this is helping rural communities do more with less. BettrAi’s “Sophie” plays a direct role in that, reducing the administrative burden and documentation time that eats into a provider’s day, freeing us up to actually focus on the patient in front of us.

I know that kind of relief firsthand. Charting in the ER has become exponentially more efficient since I started using AI documentation tools. Every time I walk into a patient room, I turn on my AI app and it listens to our entire conversation. When I leave the room, I talk through my differential diagnosis and medical decision-making, and it’s already populating my chart. I can see five ambulances pull in back to back, get to my computer, and not feel that familiar panic of falling behind on documentation. It’s taken a real weight off the mental load that comes with working in the Emergency Department.

That’s exactly why I think Sophie’s application in rural settings could be transformative. With the right implementation and safeguards, BettrAi is helping close the access gap and improve the quality of care rural patients receive.

Alison Risk is a registered nurse and contributing writer sharing her firsthand experience using AI tools in emergency care.