KFF Health News Feb 13 2026 On a 15-degree morning in January, a clinic in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina began to fill up with patients. An older couple in flannel pajamas sat together in the waiting room. A toddler waved as Patricia Hall walked past him, a stethoscope draped over her neck. The family physician waved and smiled back. But in the privacy of a conference room, her mood shifted. She is often bogged down with paperwork and can't get patients timely appointments with