Rural Health
News by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand
May 9, 2024 - New funding has been allocated technical colleges by the Wisconsin legislature to address dental healthcare worker shortages across the state, driven primarily by shortages in rural communities.
Source: Wisconsin Public Radio
May 7, 2024 - Highlights the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy's Rural Health Certificate program, which partners with rural pharmacies and prepares students to serve the unique needs of rural areas. Notes the heightened importance of rural pharmacists, who may be more accessible than other health professionals in rural areas.
Source: The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
May 7, 2024 - Provides an overview of new legislation aimed at improving healthcare access, with a focus on rural and underserved areas. Details six bills addressing a range of issues including telehealth access, rural hospital stabilization, and healthcare workforce shortages.
Source: House Committee on Ways and Means
Apr 25, 2024 - Describes a medical school recruitment program for rural Georgia teenagers. Discusses program successes and rural physician shortages that remain.
Source: Georgia Public Broadcasting, PBS, NPR
Apr 25, 2024 - Discusses new regulations for staffing minimums for nursing homes including analysis of rural-specific provisions. Offers staffing data for South Carolina nursing homes.
Source: South Carolina Daily Gazette
Apr 24, 2024 - Announces funding from the Delta Regional Authority for training emergency medical service (EMS) workforce in rural Arkansas. Discusses workforce shortages in the Arkansas Delta. The initiative will include both recruiting youth into the workforce as well as advancing the training of already employed paramedics.
Source: Talk Business & Politics
Apr 23, 2024 - Announces $700 million in funding for tribal communities for water and sewage infrastructure as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Also announces a partnership between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Indian Health Service (IHS) as well as a partnership between the United States Public Health Services (USPHS) Commissioned Corps and IHS. The partnerships will address barriers in access to resources as well as public health workforce needs.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Apr 23, 2024 - Discusses an increase in dental deserts, particularly in rural communities due to workforce shortages and limited Medicaid reimbursements for dental care. Highlights a trend in Federally Qualified Health Centers to integrate dental care into primary care.
Source: The Week
Apr 22, 2024 - Offers review of a new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding staffing minimums in nursing homes. The new standard is expected to require most nursing homes to increase staff. Discusses the rural-specific timeline for meeting the standard in addition to the impact on wages, workforce shortages, and Medicaid reimbursement.
Source: KFF Health News
Apr 22, 2024 - Discusses recent research finding the shortage of primary care physicians is greater in rural areas. Includes analysis of findings by study authors, discussing rural-specific needs, Medicare reimbursement, and recruiting rural residents into healthcare.
Source: The Daily Yonder