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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand

Characteristics of the Current Dental Assistant and Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary Workforces in Washington State
Results of a survey of 1,240 dental assistants (DAs) and 113 expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDAs), to describe the supply, distribution, and characteristics of DAs and EFDAs in Washington. Features demographics, a county-level map showing numbers of registered DAs with Washington addresses per 100,000 population, and statistics on residence with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Samantha W. Pollack, Grace A. Guenther, Benjamin A. Stubbs, et al.
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organizations: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies, Washington Oral Health Workforce
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A Closer Look at the Final Nursing Facility Rule and Which Facilities Might Meet New Staffing Requirements
Summarizes new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services's (CMS) nurse staffing requirements for nursing facilities outlined in the April 22, 2024, final rule. Analyzes Nursing Home Compare data from April 2024, which reflects nursing home staffing levels from December 2023, to explore the percentage of facilities that meet each of the new nurse staffing requirements. Presents data by nursing ownership status, rural and urban location, special focus facility status, and state.
Author(s): Priya Chidambaram, Alice Burns, Tricia Neuman, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examining the Dental Care Crisis in America: How Can We Make Dental Care More Affordable and More Available?
Recording of a May 16, 2024, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions hearing on the accessibility and affordability of dental care, including in rural areas. Features testimony from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
Additional links: Myechia Minter-Jordan, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Frontier Health Care: Ensuring Veterans' Access No Matter Where They Live
Recording of a May 15, 2024, U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing regarding rural veterans' access to healthcare and efforts to address challenges to care. Covers rural staffing and recruitment, limited access to broadband, distance to healthcare providers, and more. Features testimony from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health, the Great Plains Veterans Services Center, the Government Accountability Office, and Disabled American Veterans.
Additional links: Alyssa M. Hundrup, Government Accountability Office - Testimony, Chauncey Parker, Great Plains Veterans Services Center - Testimony, Jon Retzer, Disabled American Veterans - Testimony, Peter Kaboli, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate
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Rural Health Care: Supporting Lives and Improving Communities
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance May 16, 2024, hearing on rural healthcare. Discusses the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals, the rural healthcare workforce and graduate medical education (GME), access to maternal healthcare, health information technology and telehealth, and more. Features testimony from the Chartis Center for Rural Health; Grande Ronde Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in Oregon; the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education; and the Rural Policy Research Institute.
Additional links: Jeremy P. Davis, Grande Ronde Hospital - Testimony, Keith J. Mueller, Rural Policy Research Institute - Testimony, Lori Rodefeld, Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural Graduate Medical Education - Testimony, Michael Topchik, Chartis Center for Rural Health - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance
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Markup of H.R. 8261, H.R. 7931, H.R. 8245, H.R. 8244, H.R. 8235, and H.R. 8246
Recording of a May 8, 2024, House Ways and Means Committee markup of six bills regarding rural health. Legislation covers the extension of telehealth flexibilities, location requirements for Critical Access Hospitals in mountainous areas, the rural nursing home and physician workforce, and Rural Emergency Hospital eligibility.
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Health Professions Pathway Programs: A Literature Review
Reviews 26 articles to identify common practices of health professions pathway programs for underrepresented, underserved, or rural students pursuing primary care medical or dental education. Identifies instructional and financial practices which address Arizona's health workforce shortages by improving health workforce distribution and diversity.
Author(s): Jack Ringhand
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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How Does Hawai'i's Economic Geography Affect Its Healthcare Industry?
Reports on geographic factors influencing healthcare economics in Hawai'i, including discussion of geographic decentralization, productivity, workforce recruitment, reimbursement and payment, and more. Highlights barriers to healthcare access and service availability in rural, isolated, and remote communities.
Author(s): Steven Bond-Smith, Daniela Bond-Smith
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai'i (UHERO)
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Transforming Oral Health Care in North Carolina
Makes recommendations for improving oral health access, supporting oral care workforce and providers, and promoting oral health quality and equity in North Carolina. Discusses oral health in rural and underserved areas throughout, including coverage of workforce distribution, dental safety net, and access barriers.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Institute of Medicine
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Meeting Essential Health Services And Reimagining Obstetrics In A Rural Community
Case study profiling Kittitas Valley Healthcare (KVH) in rural Washington. Describes how KVH implemented a new staffing model to maintain essential obstetrics and gynecological care.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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