Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce

Determinants of Rural-Urban Differences in Health Care Provider Visits Among Women of Reproductive Age in the United States
Uses nationally representative data to investigate whether rural and urban women of reproductive age experience differences in healthcare provider visits. Features rural/urban comparisons on individual- and county-level characteristics and medical provider visits by type of healthcare professional.
Author(s): Hyunjung Lee, Ashley H. Hirai, Ching-Ching Claire Lin, John E. Snyder
Citation: PLos One, 15(12), e0240700
Date: 2020
Type: Document
view details
Supporting American Indian & Alaskan Native Communities Combating COVID-19
Reports on a virtual roundtable panel on health disparities related to COVID-19 facing American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Discusses the Indian Health Service response to the pandemic and gaps in pandemic-related services, including telehealth access, underfunded and understaffed healthcare facilities, data quality and information access, cultural literacy, and behavioral health needs. Addresses social determinants of health for Native populations, citing data from research studies and quoting roundtable panelists.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Executives for Health Innovation
view details
Post-Acute Care Virtual Summit
Summarizes a May 2020 virtual summit of key stakeholders that examines the state of post-acute care (PAC) in rural America. Discusses issues, challenges, and strategies related to the integration of rural acute and post-acute care. Explores how state Flex Programs can help rural providers address PAC. Includes a collection of PAC best practices.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates
view details
Buyback Program of Unused Prescription Opioids in US Rural Communities, 2017–2018
Describes a buyback intervention that was designed to encourage rural, ambulatory surgery patients to return unused prescription opioids to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Provides data on patient characteristics as well as percent of opioids prescribed and returned during 2017 and 2018. Includes implications for public health.
Author(s): Jean Liu, Julie Franklin, Frank Gesek, Joseph Anderson
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1318-1324
Date: 2020
Type: Document
view details
Contributions of US Medical Schools to Primary Care (2003-2014): Determining and Predicting Who Really Goes Into Primary Care
Results of a project to determine the magnitude by which primary care output is overestimated and to identify a more accurate way to predict actual primary care output. Features statistics on percentages of medical school graduates who intended to practice and who actually practice in primary care, based on data from 17,509 graduates from 20 campuses across 14 university systems.
Author(s): Mark Deutchman, Francesca Macaluso, Jason Chao, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 52(7), 483-490
Date: 2020
Type: Document
view details
Compendium of Rural Oral Health Best Practices - 2020
Highlights examples of the best practices in rural oral healthcare across the country. Presents a number of models regarding workforce development and training, integration of care, telehealth, clinical care, and policy.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
The Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program: Worcester County Health Department
Describes and examines the impact of a care coordination program developed by the Worcester County Health Department located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Describes the program's care team of a registered nurse, masters-level social worker, and community health worker (CHW), working in collaboration with primary care providers. Serves patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with a home visit and services tailored to the patient's unique needs. Funded under the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Grant Program from 2015-2018.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
The Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Program: Williamson Health and Wellness Center
Describes and examines the impact of a care coordination program developed by the Williamson Health and Wellness Center based in Williamson, West Virginia. Describes the program's use of care teams of community health workers, a registered nurse, and a nurse practitioner providing care coordination to patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Funded under the Rural Health Care Coordination Network Partnership Grant Program from 2015-2018, with additional private funding from a network of local philanthropies.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
Access to Autism Spectrum Disorder Services for Rural Appalachian Citizens
Summarizes the challenges of accessibility and affordability faced by residents of rural southwest Virginia as they seek services for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Highlights the effects of extreme poverty and the need for cultural sensitivity among service providers. Offers suggestions for policymakers and features demographic statistics on caregivers and providers.
Author(s): Angela Scarpa, Laura S. Jensen, Denis Gracanin, Sharon L. Ramey, Angela V. Dahiya
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 2(1), 25-40
Date: 2020
Type: Document
view details
The VA MISSION Act of 2018: A Potential Game Changer for Rural GME Expansion and Veteran Health Care
Describes features of the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018, including expansion of graduate medical education (GME) to rural areas, modernization of facilities, and financial aid for providers willing to accept VA assignments in shortage areas. Explores ways in which the MISSION Act can promote more effective and efficient care programs for veterans in rural and underserved areas.
Author(s): Anthony P. Albanese, Edward T. Bope, Karen M. Sanders, Marjorie Bowman
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 36(1), 133-136
Date: 2020
Type: Document
view details