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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health occupations

Texas Surgical Assistants, 2022: Trends, Distribution, and Demographics
Fact sheet describing growth trends and population-to-provider data by county and geographic designation of surgical assistants in Texas. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Texas Speech-Language Pathologists, 2022: Trends, Distribution, and Demographics
Fact sheet showing speech-language pathologist (SLP) growth trends, geographic distribution by county and ratio of population to SLP by metropolitan, non-metropolitan, border, and non-border geography, and provider demographics by age and gender.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Texas Optometrists, 2022: Trends, Distribution, and Demographics
Fact sheet showing optometrist growth trends, geographic distribution by county and ratio of population to optometrist by metropolitan, non-metropolitan, border, and non-border geography, provider demographics by race/ethnicity, age, and gender, and employment characteristics.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Texas Chiropractors, 2022: Trends, Distribution, and Demographics
Fact sheet showing chiropractor growth trends, geographic distribution by county and ratio of population to chiropractor by metropolitan, non-metropolitan, border, and non-border geography, and provider demographics by age and gender.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Achieving Behavioral Health Care Integration in Rural America
Provides an overview of behavioral health and primary care integration and how integration may be different in rural areas than in urban and suburban areas. Examines the barriers to integration in rural areas and opportunities for policies that can improve access to care. Offers policy recommendations to better coordinate and integrate primary care and behavioral health services for high-risk groups and expand the ability of primary care providers to handle the lower-acuity behavioral health needs of patients through enhanced payments, training, and improved access to behavioral health providers for consultation and referral. Builds on the March 2021 report, Tackling America's Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Through Primary Care Integration.
Author(s): Kendall Strong, Michele Gilbert, Julia Harris, et al.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Recruiting the Next Generation of Behavioral Health Professionals
Podcast episode regarding the recruitment, training, and retention of behavioral health specialists in rural areas. Discusses the University of Iowa Health Care rural psychiatry residency track and Public Psychiatry Fellowship program.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Ambulance Deserts: Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services
Chartbook presenting data on ambulance deserts from 41 states in 2021-2022, and identifying places and people that are more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station. Include maps of ambulance desert locations and health care facility locations for every state with available data, and documents coverage gaps in the provision of ambulance services across geographic areas across the United States.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Carly Milkowski, Zachariah Croll, Karen Pearson
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Barriers to Rural Health Care From the Provider Perspective
Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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Understanding the U.S. Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage
Discusses the shortage of behavioral health professionals across the country and highlights some of the contributing factors. Breaks down factors affecting licensed providers, clinical supporters, community care workers, and frontline workers. Makes recommendations for policymakers and includes considerations for rural areas.
Author(s): Nathaniel Counts
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Distribution of Direct Care Workforce COVID-19 Funding Between Rural and Urban Counties in Minnesota and Illinois
Brief highlights the differences in the distribution of CARES Act direct care workforce funding between rural and urban counties in Minnesota and Illinois. Discusses the differences in distribution between the two states and the consequences for rural COVID-19 outcomes.
Author(s): Katie Rydberg, Janette Dill, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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