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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand

International Medical Graduate Physicians in the U.S.: Changes Since 1981
Describes changes over time in the supply and distribution of International Medical Graduates (IMGs), based on five-year interval data from 1981 through 2001. Addresses IMG country of education, distribution in the U.S., demographics, type of practice, specialty, and contribution to patient care in rural areas and persistent poverty counties.
Author(s): L. Gary Hart, Susan M. Skillman, Amy Hagopian, et al.
Date: 03/2005
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiary Access to Physician Services: Trends in Utilization of Services, 2000-2002
Reports on Medicare beneficiaries' access to physician services in 2000, 2001, and 2002, with comparison of rural versus urban access.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2005
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Characteristics of Registered Nurses in Rural vs. Urban Areas: Implications for Strategies to Alleviate Nursing Shortages in the United States
Reports on characteristics of rural and urban registered nurses in the United States based on data from a national survey.
Author(s): Susan M. Skillman, Lorella Palazzo, David Keepnews, L. Gary Hart
Date: 01/2005
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Mental Health Risk Factors, Unmet Needs, and Provider Availability for Rural Children
Reports on mental health needs for urban and rural children and availability of healthcare professionals, including behavioral health providers, in urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 2005
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Physician Workforce: Supply Increased in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas but Geographic Disparities Persisted
Describes the change in supply of physicians from 1991 to 2001. Includes data nationally and by state on physicians in nonmetropolitan areas and on the number of specialists versus generalists. Includes a list of Health Resources and Services Administration programs that address the supply and distribution of health professionals, with 1991 and 2001 expenditures for each program.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The Contribution of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to Generalist Care in Washington State
Describes the contribution to generalist care made by nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in Washington State. Includes data on NP and PA contributions in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, Lorella Palazzo, Bobbi Berkowitz, Michael J. Pirani, L. Gary Hart
Citation: Health Services Research, 38(4), 1033-1050
Date: 08/2003
Type: Document
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Who is Caring for the Underserved? A Comparison of Primary Care Physicians and Nonphysician Clinicians in California and Washington
Compares the geographic distribution and patient populations of physician and nonphysician primary care clinicians. Includes the proportion of clinicians within each discipline practicing in rural areas, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and areas with vulnerable populations.
Author(s): Kevin Grumbach, L. Gary Hart, Elizabeth Mertz, Janet Coffman, Lorella Palazzo
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 1(2), 97-104
Date: 07/2003
Type: Document
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State of the Health Workforce in Rural America: Profiles and Comparisons
Overview of rural healthcare workforce issues. National and state-by-state data on the healthcare workforce, with rural-urban comparisons and interstate comparisons. Also includes data on rural healthcare facilities.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, Karin E. Johnson, Thomas E. Norris, et al.
Date: 2003
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Analysis of the Financial Conditions of Health Care Institutions in the Appalachian Region and their Economic Impacts
Describes the availability of healthcare services in Appalachia, the financial stability of Appalachian healthcare institutions, and the effect of hospital closures on Appalachian counties.
Author(s): Jeffrey Stensland, Curt Mueller, Janet Sutton
Date: 12/2002
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services Meeting Minutes, Pray, Montana, September 2-4, 2002.
Minutes from a National Advisory Committee on Rural Health & Human Services meeting addressing the following topics: the Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program (Flex) and Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant (SHIP) Programs, quality of care in rural hospitals, and a Montana health workforce shortage task force.
Date: 09/2002
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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