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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce pipeline

A National Staffing Emergency in Rural Health Care
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with three rural hospital executives from Colorado, Wisconsin, and Michigan regarding workforce shortages in rural hospitals. Describes factors driving workforce challenges; recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies; approaches to introducing healthcare careers to youth and the community; and the role of technology in meeting healthcare needs.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Identifying Strategies for Strengthening the Health Care Workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Provides an overview of recent trends in the shortage of the nursing, primary care, and behavioral healthcare workforce in Virginia. Summarizes findings from an environmental scan and qualitative and quantitative data analysis regarding recruitment and retention strategies. Identifies interventions that could help the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA) successfully address workforce shortages and which interventions should be prioritized based on desired policy outcomes. Presents a system dynamic model simulating the medium- to long-term supply and employment trends within Virginia's healthcare workforce under status quo conditions and under various policy interventions. Includes information on recruitment and retention in rural areas throughout.
Additional links: Annex, Research Brief: Recommendations for Strengthening the Health Care Workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Author(s): Megan Andrew, Brian Briscombe, Raffaele Vardavas, et al.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Adapting to the New Workforce Environment: Hannibal Regional Healthcare System Outreach
Profiles Hannibal Regional Healthcare System (HRHS) in Hannibal, Missouri, which is addressing workforce challenges by working with area schools, colleges, and universities to increase opportunities for diverse occupations through internships, residencies, training, and curriculum.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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2022 Annual Report: Alabama Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
Highlights the functions of Alabama's Statewide Area Health Education Center, which supports the state's healthcare workforce and service delivery to rural and underserved populations. Covers workforce development, resources and funding, organizational culture, and community engagement in 2022 and 2023.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Michigan AHEC: 2022-2023 Health Workforce Program Highlights
A factsheet that provides data on Michigan's Area Health Education Center (AHEC) scholars program, pipeline programs, and clinical training rotations by setting, including rural area, primary care setting, and medically underserved community.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Area Health Education Center
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RPHWTN Grantees Help Rural Healthcare Facilities Keep Local Talent
Highlights the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy's Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network and its focus on expanding workforce capacity in rural and tribal areas. Features a career ladder program in Missouri, a respiratory therapy training program in Texas, and a health IT training program in Virginia.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Leveraging Career Pathway Programs: State Strategies to Combat Health Care Workforce Shortages
Provides an overview of healthcare career pathway programs states have implemented to address or mitigate workforce shortages. Describes programs across various stages of education, including K-12, community college, and undergraduate programs. Highlights two undergraduate programs focused on rural healthcare - Nebraska's Rural Health Opportunities Program and Utah's Rural and Underserved Utah Training Experience (RUUTE) - as well as a regional rural nurse practitioner residency program in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Improving Health Care Access in Rural Communities: Obstacles and Opportunities
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care hearing on improving access to high-quality, affordable healthcare in rural communities. Discusses workforce issues, education pipeline, transportation, broadband, school-based health centers, payment models and value-based care, and rural-friendly policies. Features testimonies from representatives of Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, Choptank Community Health System, Essentia Health, and the Sheps Center For Health Services Research.
Additional links: Testimony by David Herman, Testimony by Erin Aune, Testimony by Mark Holmes, Testimony by Sara Rich
Date: 05/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care
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Alaska AHEC Program 2022 Annual Report
Details the 2022 program highlights and accomplishments of Alaska's Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program, which provides health workforce programs for students to support quality healthcare access in the state.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Alaska Area Health Education Centers Program, Alaska Center for Rural Health and Health Workforce
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Characteristics of California's EMT and Paramedic Workforce
Provides an overview of the emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic workforce in California, including trends, estimated size, geographic distribution, employment and demographic characteristics, educational pipeline, and more. Provides county-level maps of actively certified EMTS to population ratios, actively licensed paramedics to population ratios, and EMT and paramedic training programs.
Author(s): Tim Bates, Janet Coffman
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
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