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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health aides and assistants

Trends in the Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S.
Describes trends in the supply and distribution of clinicians in primary care, behavioral health, and obstetrical care, as well as dentists, surgeons, community health workers, and home health aides. Examines the availability of workforce data for professions important for rural communities, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using various health workforce data sources for rural health research. Features statistics with breakdowns by 5 levels of population density.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Sara C. Woolcock, Lisa A. Garberson, et al.
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Health Care Worker Recruitment and Retention in New York State: What Are the Issues?
Report summarizing health workforce recruitment and retention difficulties experienced by providers in New York State, and reasons for these difficulties. Examines challenges in hospitals, nursing homes, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and other facilities, especially in rural areas of New York.
Additional links: Infographic
Author(s): Robert Martiniano, Sage Shirey
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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2024 Workforce Survey Report: The Status of Kentucky's Hospital Workforce
Provides an in-depth look at non-physician direct care positions in inpatient or hospital-related outpatient departments in Kentucky as of 2023. Includes statistics on vacancies, benefits, and pay, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Maik Schutze
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kentucky Hospital Association
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With Current Staffing Levels, About 1 in 5 Nursing Facilities Would Meet Fully-Implemented Minimum Staffing Standards in the Final Rule
Describes a proposed federal standard for nursing home nurse staffing levels and analyzes current nursing home staffing levels, noting the percentage of facilities that will meet the proposed staffing level requirements when fully implemented.
Author(s): Priya Chidambaram, Alice Burns, Tricia Neuman, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Addressing the Shortage of Direct Care Workers: Insights from Seven States
Brief assessing efforts for strengthening and identifying federal policy opportunities related to the direct care workforce through interviews with 20 stakeholders in 7 states. Discusses federal funding, collaboration, workforce pipelines, equity, credentials, training, family caregivers, and home- and community-based services. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Molly O'Malley Watts
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Nursing Home Workforce Issues and Inequities
Offers an overview of issues related to the direct care workforce in nursing homes including staffing shortages, recruitment and retention, low wages, job training, interdisciplinary care, and more. Discusses proposed policies offering workforce-related reforms. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Travers, Rita Choula, Edem Hado
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Texas Certified Nurse Aides, 2024
County-level breakdown of the Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) workforce in Texas. Includes number of CNAs along with ratios to the population of each county.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Addressing the Direct Care Workforce Shortage: A Bipartisan Call to Action
Report discusses direct care worker shortages throughout the country. Details shortages of home health aids, certified nursing assistants, and residential care aids, among other direct care workers, and makes recommendations for decreasing shortages. Highlights some of the added barriers faced by rural communities.
Author(s): Lisa Harootunian, Kamryn Perry, Allison Buffett, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Virginia's Certified Nurse Aide Workforce: 2023
An overview of the certified nurse aide (CNA) workforce in Virginia based on data from the 2023 Certified Nurse Aide Workforce Survey. Features statistics including the number of CNAs in rural Virginia and how many grew up in rural areas of Virginia.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health Professions
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Medical Assistants' Telehealth Roles and Skills in Primary Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Study examining the role of medical assistants (MAs) in providing primary care via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. 10 key informants from national and state primary care organizations were interviewed. Results include discussion about the variation in roles being dependent on organization size and rurality.
Author(s): Samantha W. Pollack, Susan M. Skillman, Tracy M. Mroz, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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