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Rural residents face unique challenges and barriers when it comes to accessing high-quality healthcare. Many rural areas do not have a hospital or medical center nearby, forcing residents to drive hours to the nearest doctor or healthcare clinic. This delaysand in some cases preventsrural residents from receiving care quickly, efficiently and safely. Due in part to these barriers, rural patients take advantage of preventive care less often than their urban counterparts and face higher health risks, such as cancer, chronic respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke, and unintentional injuries. Women, specifically mothers, are among those most significantly impacted in these rural communities. In fact, less than half of rural women live within a 30-minute drive to the nearest hospital offering perinatal services. According to the March of Dimes, 36% of U.S. counties are maternity care desertsmeaning there are no hospitals providing obstetric care, no birth centers, no OB/GYNs, and no certified nurse midwives. Of those counties, about 62% are considered rural. On top of that, maternal and infant mortality rates in the most remote areas of the country are significantly higher than those in large metropolitan areas, and rural hospitals report higher rates of postpartum hemorrhage and blood transfusions during labor and delivery, compared to their urban counterparts. As a woman and a mother, these numbers are deeply troubling to me. But they should be equally concerning to all Americans. The first step: Expand the healthcare workforce Addressing healthcare workforce shortages nationwide is the first step to tackling these health disparities. Everyone knows we need more healthcare providers. But the numbers are daunting. If everyoneincluding the marginalized, rural, and uninsuredhad the same access to healthcare as those with fewer barriers, the U.S. would have needed 202,800 additional physicians as of 2021. Thats in addition to the number we need to replace the providers who leave the workforce every day due to burnout and stress. This is no easy feat, but it can be done. It starts with expanding access to healthcare education and training healthcare professionals at scale. To do this, we need to be creative in how we think about traditional education in this country. To attract a diverse population of students, we need to truly understand the barriers some populations face when pursuing an education. Whether financial, academic, or logistical, we need to find ways to systemically dismantle those barriers and design educational programs that meet students real-world needs. This can include simplified admissions processes, online coursework options, enhanced scholarship opportunities, ongoing support programs, and innovative technologies that foster student-faculty engagement and educational success. We also must ensure that we adequately prepare studentsboth academically and practicallyfor career success, supplementing classroom learning with hands-on clinical experience. Partnerships with hospitals and health centers can provide students with educational experiences that mimic the clinical setting and provide a realistic understanding of the skills they will need for their chosen specialty area. These are critical steps to expanding educational opportunities for more students interested in the healthcare profession. As these graduates go on to serve patients, many of them returning to practice in their own communities, we unleash a robust and much-needed healthcare workforce that serves critical primary care needs and underserved populations across the U.S. When these graduates have received the educational support and the real-world training they need to be successful, they are ready on day one to meet their patients unique healthcare needs. This benefits mothers in rural areasas well as fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and entire communities. A ZIP code should never serve as a barrier to accessing critical healthcare services. Those living in rural communities face unique health care challenges, and women, including pregnant women, are among the most significantly impacted. We need to expand the pipeline of diverse healthcare professionals and equip them with high-quality, specialized training to serve these communities. By doing so, we can dismantle barriers to care and help meet the unique health needs of rural patients. Blake Simpson is chief communications and corporate affairs officer of Adtalem Global Education.
Category:
E-Commerce
Launched 16 years ago with only 500 apps, Apples App Store revolutionized how we interact with our devices. As of 2023, the App Store had nearly 1.8 million apps, spanning categories like gaming, fitness, productivity, social media, and much more. The phrase Theres an app for that has never been more true. But with so many apps available, users face a new challenge: app fatigue. With millions of choices, users can easily become overwhelmed. Even when someone chooses to download an app, they can be bombarded with notifications urging them to engage, upgrade, or subscribe. With many apps competing for users attention and wallets, this can push them to ignore or even delete an app altogether. This creates a dilemma but also presents a unique opportunity for developers. By rethinking app monetization and adopting innovative models, the industry can evolve into a healthier, more rewarding space for users and developers alike. Developers can lead the charge here while still prioritizing app quality, accessibility, and user satisfaction. The impact of app fatigue The App Store growth has created a paradox of choice for users. Users now have an average of 18 apps downloaded on their smartphones, and this number is predicted to decrease by 1% each year. Meanwhile, churn ratesthe percentage of users who stop using an apphave skyrocketed over the past four years, with 96.3% of iOS app downloaders becoming inactive by day 30. This environment leaves developers scrambling to compete. Because users have millions of apps to pick from, very few apps actually turn a profit. This pressure has led many developers to adopt aggressive monetization strategies like subscription models, prioritizing short-term revenue over user experience. Subscription models can be useful tools when used thoughtfully, providing a steady source of revenue that allows developers to maintain and improve their apps. The issue arises when subscriptions become the default or sole app monetization model, which is occurring more frequently. When useful functionality is hidden behind paywalls and payment options for apps are limited to recurring charges, users can become frustrated with their app experience. This can alienate users and lead to higher churn rates, creating a cycle where neither users nor developers truly benefit. Explore user-centric alternatives With the surge in app numbers and the widespread adoption of subscription models, its no surprise that many users feel overwhelmed. However, alternative strategies can mitigate app fatigue, offering a better user experience and sustainable options for developers. Pay-per-use, where users only pay when engaging with specific features, has become common in sectors like ride-sharing, food delivery, and online education. This model eliminates the need for ongoing subscriptions and gives users the ability to pay solely for the features they use. Ultimately, this eliminates the pressure of recurring charges. Additionally, all-you-can-eat models give users the freedom to use many features for a single price, providing a streamlined user experience and eliminating the need for constant upgrades and hidden fees. This makes app usage more enjoyable for users. For developers, it ensures a steady revenue stream that is distributed fairlyincentivizing quality and innovation. Yet, while these models offer exciting alternatives to traditional subscription models, they can only succeed if apps themselves evolve. Monetization is just one piece of the puzzle; the design and ecosystems behind these apps must also be reimagined. A new era of software The app industry must move behind incremental fixes. Users need tools that help them create, innovate, and build a meaningful legacy for a reasonable and fair price. Platforms like the Apple Arcade hint at whats possible by offering an integrated, curated marketplace with a streamlined user experience and efficient all-you-can-eat format. Similarly, the rise of super-apps in markets like Asia highlights another approach: consolidating multiple servicessuch as messaging, payments, and e-commerceinto a single platform to reduce friction and simplify daily life. These examples illustrate the growing expectation for apps to deliver cohesive solutions that adapt to users needs, whether through curated marketplaces, multifunctional platforms, or interconnected standalone tools. Its becoming clear that single-purpose apps are quickly becoming obsolete. The future belongs to apps that are proactive, not reactivedynamic tools that evolve with users needs, offering a holistic, personalized experience. Developers must create on-demand solutions that instantly adapt to fulfill user needs. If a user, for instance, wants to combine notes, set reminders, and draft a report, the app should seamlessly generate the tools or interface in real time, eliminating the need to switch between multiple apps or perform repetitive tasks. The tools to make this happen are already here; technologies such as generative AI will lay the groundwork for even more advanced app solutions in the future. As the industry looks ahead, the key to success lies in seeing the bigger picture: smarter, more integrated solutions for users and robust ecosystems that empower developers. By rethinking how dynamic app services are designed and how they interact within larger platforms, we can move toward a future where software adapts to usersnot the other way around. Oleksandr Kosovan is founder and CEO of MacPaw.
Category:
E-Commerce
Recently, Donald Trump was once again inaugurated as President of the United States, and the start of what I anticipate will be a pivotal year for our nation. And while its increasingly difficult to know exactly what to expect, there is one thing I believe has become incredibly clear over the past year: The most important issues facing our country wont be solved with more incessant bickering and polarization. I dont come to this conclusion out of some perceived sense of moral superiority. I, too, have found myself taken in and even angered by recent political dramas. The fact is that division can be intoxicating, particularly when it relates to issues that were passionate about. However, passion alone wont help our struggling neighbors, and remaining divided will only prevent holistic solutions to fixing inequality and uplifting those in our communities who need it most. Understand the issues at hand For decades, socioeconomic inequality has continued to impact tens of millions of Americans and has remained one of our countrys most difficult challenges. And make no mistake, this is an issue that impacts people on all points of the political spectrum, and that will need to be addressed with increasing urgency regardless of which party is in power. According to the Federal Reserve, the wealth gap in this country continues to widen. Within the second quarter of 2024, the top 10% of households by wealth had an average of $6.9 million each, holding 67% of total household wealth. Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of households by wealth had an average of $51,000, only holding 2.5% of total household wealth. In parallel, housing affordability in this country is also getting worse, with the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimating a current shortage of more than 7 million affordable homes for the nearly 11 million extremely low-income families in the U.S. Given these statistics, it should come as no surprise that the incumbent Democratic administration ended up losing the working class vote. Whether you blame that on post-pandemic inflation or weak policies around workforce development, it doesnt change the fact that the overall economy was a major motivating factor for American voters and instrumental in ushering in a leadership change. Change isnt achieved through division To say that Donald Trump has traditionally been a polarizing figure would be an understatement. For years, his spontaneity on social media alone has reliably drawn the criticism of politicians and business leaders of all political affiliations, and on occasion even resulted in Trump being banned from multiple platforms. However, judging by a slew of public endorsements and financial contributions from prominent tech leaders, it appears that at least one industry is willing to put their differences aside in the name of progress. More specifically, weve learned of several hefty contributions to Trumps inaugural fund. Influential leaders like Mark Zuckerberg are signaling a growing recognition that remaining divided is a poor strategy for driving change. While there are many conclusions that can be taken from this development, I think the most important lesson here is that real progress requires having allies in political leadership, not adversaries. Weve seen how these prominent leaders can drive social and economic change in the U.S., including but not limited to tech, innovation, philanthropy, and more. So when it comes to addressing inequalities, I believe these are the leaders who will catalyze real change and we need them in our corner. Come together to drive progress As a career entrepreneur and nonprofit philanthropist, Ive been privileged to witness first-hand how providing a hand up to our neighbors can uplift an entire community, which we do at Business for Good each day. But Ive also come to understand that positive change is much more readily achieved through unification rather than division. In fact, after years of working with hardworking business owners from marginalized communities, I can say with confidence that most care far less about political divisiveness than they do about action and results. Additionally, and perhaps more than anything, what these communities wantand needis simply for their voices to be heard. We can see this truth clearly reflected in how certain demographic groups voted this election, particularly young, working-class Black and Latino men. Citing everything from the benefits of Trumps tax policies for small businesses to the inability of Democrats to truly deliver on their promises to minority communities, both demographics went for Trump even more confidently than in 2020, with Trump earning close to double the share of votes from Black men under 45 than he did in the previous election. So, as we look to move forward to the next phase of Business for Good, the focus will remain on addressing inequities, but on a bigger scalehoning in on the housing crisis, economic equality, and broader community development. With Inauguration Day in the rear-view mirrorand most leaders would probably agreeI dont believe that this second Trump term will be all forward progress; there are still a lot of unanswered questions and uncertainty about the actions he will take over the next four years. What I do think, however, is that solving the socioeconomic challenges of our time isnt about being a Democrat or a Republican, but rather about working across party lines with the shared recognition that unification is needed now more than ever to drive meaningful change, and that the path toward a better future for all Americans will be far better undivided. Ed Mitzen is cofounder of Business for Good.
Category:
E-Commerce
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