Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand
The Nursing Shortage and its Consequences in Rural Virginia
Policy brief exploring the statewide nursing shortage in Virginia, with a focus on rural areas. Offers insights into the cause of the crisis as well as areas for improvement. Features statistics on the number of healthcare workers who left their jobs from 2000-2022, leading to an overall healthcare workforce shortage.
Author(s): Sety Abooali
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: West Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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Policy brief exploring the statewide nursing shortage in Virginia, with a focus on rural areas. Offers insights into the cause of the crisis as well as areas for improvement. Features statistics on the number of healthcare workers who left their jobs from 2000-2022, leading to an overall healthcare workforce shortage.
Author(s): Sety Abooali
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: West Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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Indiana's Behavioral Health Workforce Report Series: Psychiatrists and Psychiatric APRNs
Information on 2021 demographics, education and practice characteristics, and distribution of Indiana physicians and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who report having a practice specialty in psychiatry. Includes a county-level map showing geographic distribution of psychiatrists, with shadings indicating counties that are Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 11/2022
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Information on 2021 demographics, education and practice characteristics, and distribution of Indiana physicians and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who report having a practice specialty in psychiatry. Includes a county-level map showing geographic distribution of psychiatrists, with shadings indicating counties that are Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 11/2022
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Who Will Care for Rural Older Adults? Measuring the Direct Care Workforce in Rural Areas
Policy brief examining existing disparities in the supply of home health aides and nursing assistants in rural areas compared to urban areas. Features statistics on the ratio of home health aides and nursing assistants relative to the population of adults age 65 and above, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and by census region.
Author(s): Janette Dill, Carrie Henning-Smith, Rongxuan Zhu, Elizabeth Vomacka
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief examining existing disparities in the supply of home health aides and nursing assistants in rural areas compared to urban areas. Features statistics on the ratio of home health aides and nursing assistants relative to the population of adults age 65 and above, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas and by census region.
Author(s): Janette Dill, Carrie Henning-Smith, Rongxuan Zhu, Elizabeth Vomacka
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Behavioral Health: Available Workforce Information and Federal Actions to Help Recruit and Retain Providers
Examines the available information on the behavioral health workforce, including federal data on the number of providers nationwide and the projection of the supply and demand for behavioral health providers in 2030. Identifies key barriers to recruiting and retaining behavioral health providers, as well as actions federal agencies have taken to support recruiting and retaining these providers. Outlines federal loan repayment, scholarship, and training programs designed to address workforce challenges in rural and other underserved areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the available information on the behavioral health workforce, including federal data on the number of providers nationwide and the projection of the supply and demand for behavioral health providers in 2030. Identifies key barriers to recruiting and retaining behavioral health providers, as well as actions federal agencies have taken to support recruiting and retaining these providers. Outlines federal loan repayment, scholarship, and training programs designed to address workforce challenges in rural and other underserved areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Advancing Health Equity and Integrated Care for Rural Dual Eligibles
Discusses health disparities for rural individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Presents an overview of a toolkit to advance health equity for rural dual eligibles and findings from roundtables of 50 stakeholders across 3 states regarding solutions for the workforce and service needs of this population.
Author(s): Ellen Breslin, Samantha Di Paola, Susan McGeehan, Rebecca Kellenberg, Andrea Maresca
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 10/2022
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Discusses health disparities for rural individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Presents an overview of a toolkit to advance health equity for rural dual eligibles and findings from roundtables of 50 stakeholders across 3 states regarding solutions for the workforce and service needs of this population.
Author(s): Ellen Breslin, Samantha Di Paola, Susan McGeehan, Rebecca Kellenberg, Andrea Maresca
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 10/2022
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Home Health Agencies Used Multiple Strategies to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Although Some Challenges Persist
Presents results of a survey of home health agencies (HHAs) conducted between September through December 2021 to explore the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses challenges related to staffing, infection control, the use of telehealth, and the adequacy of emergency preparedness plans, as well as challenges specific to rural HHAs. Provides recommendations for how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can help HHAs prepare for and respond to current and future infectious disease outbreaks and changes to the home health care landscape.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Presents results of a survey of home health agencies (HHAs) conducted between September through December 2021 to explore the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses challenges related to staffing, infection control, the use of telehealth, and the adequacy of emergency preparedness plans, as well as challenges specific to rural HHAs. Provides recommendations for how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can help HHAs prepare for and respond to current and future infectious disease outbreaks and changes to the home health care landscape.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2022
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Social Workers in the U.S., 2014-2021
Describes the distribution of social workers in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in social workers per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): C.H.A. Andrilla, S.C. Woolcock, L.A. Garberson, D.G. Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes the distribution of social workers in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in social workers per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): C.H.A. Andrilla, S.C. Woolcock, L.A. Garberson, D.G. Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatrists in the U.S., 1995-2019
Describes the distribution of psychiatrists in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in psychiatrists per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 1995-2019.
Author(s): C.H.A. Andrilla, S.C. Woolcock, L.A. Garberson, D.G. Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes the distribution of psychiatrists in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in psychiatrists per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 1995-2019.
Author(s): C.H.A. Andrilla, S.C. Woolcock, L.A. Garberson, D.G. Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Changes in the Supply and Rural-Urban Distribution of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners in the U.S., 2014-2021
Describes the distribution of psychiatric nurse practitioners in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in psychiatric nurse practitioners per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): C.H.A. Andrilla, S.C. Woolcock, L.A. Garberson, D.G. Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes the distribution of psychiatric nurse practitioners in U.S. counties by rural or urban location and census division. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density and by year. Includes county-level map showing change in psychiatric nurse practitioners per 100,000 population in rural counties, from 2014-2021.
Author(s): C.H.A. Andrilla, S.C. Woolcock, L.A. Garberson, D.G. Patterson
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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