Lena Esmail, a nurse practitioner and CEO of QuickMed, is urging communities to take direct action to address critical shortages in primary healthcare access across the United States. According to data from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, more than 100 million Americans reside in designated Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. These regions, which include small cities, working-class suburbs, and rural areas, face significant barriers where appointment wait times can extend for weeks, families often resort to emergency rooms for non-urgent needs, school children miss days due to untreated health issues, and working parents lack care options during off-hours.
Esmail, who grew up in Youngstown's North Side and leads QuickMed's network of community-based clinics in Ohio, observed these challenges firsthand during her nursing career. She emphasizes that the problem is not avoidance of healthcare but an inability to reach it, stating that people need accessible locations rather than more insurance paperwork. Her approach focuses on bringing care closer to where individuals live, work, and learn through a model utilizing nurse practitioners and physician assistants to deliver affordable, high-quality services in small community clinics and schools.
QuickMed currently operates in nine Ohio cities, including Akron, Medina, Ravenna, and Columbiana, demonstrating immediate impacts such as faster access to care, reduced strain on hospital emergency departments, and fewer missed school and workdays. Esmail describes the clinics as designed to integrate into communities without overwhelming them, asserting that effective healthcare must be present rather than large-scale. For more information on QuickMed's initiatives, visit https://www.quickmedclinic.com.
Esmail is calling on residents, educators, and local officials to examine how care is delivered in their areas and take concrete steps. Her recommendations include supporting school-based clinics to improve attendance and reduce emergency room visits, advocating with local officials for funding and zoning for neighborhood clinics using nurse-led models, inquiring with employers or school boards about on-site or community health partnerships, publicly sharing personal experiences with care barriers, and volunteering or connecting with local efforts to amplify action. She stresses that individuals do not need formal degrees to initiate change but rather an understanding of their neighborhoods.
This advocacy extends beyond QuickMed's operations to reframe the future of primary care by emphasizing sustainable, community-driven solutions. Esmail highlights the importance of addressing inequities in overlooked areas and encourages everyone—from parents and neighbors to nurses and policymakers—to reconsider their roles in community health. By starting local, she argues, meaningful change can begin to bridge the gaps in a healthcare system where millions lack basic access, ultimately fostering healthier communities through grassroots engagement and practical, accessible care models.
