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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand

Characteristics of Physician Assistant Students Planning to Work in Primary Care: A National Study
Examines the predictors associated with physician assistants' (PAs) intention to practice in primary care. Compares the characteristics of enrolled PA students intending to practice in primary care, and more likely to work in rural practice, with enrolled PAs planning to enter other specialties. Data is taken from the 2013-2014 Physician Assistant Education Association's (PAEA) Matriculating Student Survey (MSS).
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Rural Registered Nurses: Educational Preparation, Workplace, and Salary
Examines reported education levels and work sites of rural and urban registered nurses (RNs). Includes United States map showing proportion of RNs with Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from 2011-2015, and statistics on ADN nurses by work setting and salary differential, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Janice C. Probst, Selina Hunt McKinney, Cassie Odahowski
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Arizona Primary Care Physician Workforce Report
Features data, using Rural Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) codes, to assess the distribution of the physician workforce in Arizona, and highlights differences in the distribution by training location and physician specialty. To be used as a guide in the development of policies and programs addressing the healthcare needs of all communities within the state.
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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Mayo Clinic Joins the National Effort to Train Tomorrow's Rural Surgeons
Describes challenges facing rural surgery, including workforce shortages, outlines the Mayo Clinic's development of a rural general surgery track, and identifies lessons learned in the first three years of the Mayo Clinic's program. Compares competencies required for rural surgeons and those in urban areas.
Author(s): Randy C. Lehman, Brandon G. Douglass, Stephanie F. Heller, Michael C. Roskos
Citation: Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, 104(10)
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
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Minnesota's Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) Workforce, 2019
Describes the licensed alcohol and drug counselor workforce in Minnesota. Covers demographic statistics, education, employment, and distribution of alcohol and drug counselors in urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated areas in Minnesota.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Use of Apprenticeship to Meet Demand for Medical Assistants in the U.S.
Reports findings from a study of registered medical assistant (MA) apprenticeship programs in 12 states. Discusses the workforce needs these programs may help address, including workforce needs in rural communities. Describes the programs and discusses challenges with starting and maintaining MA apprenticeship programs.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Andrew D. Jopson, Susan M. Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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The Providers
Collection of learning resources related to The Providers, a film which follows 3 healthcare providers employed at a group of safety-net clinics in northern New Mexico. Explores the physician shortage, health disparities, and the opioid epidemic in rural America. Geared toward high school and college students.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: PBS Learning Media
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Minnesota's Dental Therapist Workforce, 2019
Provides an overview of the dental therapist workforce in Minnesota, including the history of the profession in the state, educational programs, scope of practice, and licensing requirements. Reports results of a March 2019 survey of the state's dental therapist workforce, with data on demographics, education, employment, work settings, and geographic distribution. Includes data on work location by level of rurality.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Provider Shortages and Limited Availability of Behavioral Health Services in New Mexico's Medicaid Managed Care
Examines the supply and distribution of behavioral health providers and prescribers across New Mexico, with a focus on services available to Medicaid managed care enrollees. Includes data for rural and frontier counties. Discusses rural broadband connectivity challenges that impact the use of telehealth to address access. Offers policy recommendations. Findings are likely to be relevant to behavioral healthcare access in other states' rural and frontier counties.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Minnesota's Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Workforce, 2019
Details the composition and distribution of Minnesota's Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) workforce. Highlights workforce characteristics by age, race, education, and rural status, among other measures.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health - Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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