Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce
The U.S. Dentist Workforce: Based on the Latest Available Data from Multiple Sources as of August 2025
Explores who makes up the dentist workforce, how and where dentists work, how practicing dentists are faring economically, and the future of the dentist workforce. Features statistics including the dentist-to-population ratio and average revenue per dentist, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute
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Explores who makes up the dentist workforce, how and where dentists work, how practicing dentists are faring economically, and the future of the dentist workforce. Features statistics including the dentist-to-population ratio and average revenue per dentist, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: American Dental Association, Health Policy Institute
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Virginia's Licensed Clinical Psychologist Workforce: 2025
An overview of the licensed clinical psychologist (LCP) workforce in Virginia based on data from the 2025 Licensed Clinical Psychologist Workforce Survey. Features statistics including the number of LCPs in rural Virginia and how many grew up in rural areas.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health Professions
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An overview of the licensed clinical psychologist (LCP) workforce in Virginia based on data from the 2025 Licensed Clinical Psychologist Workforce Survey. Features statistics including the number of LCPs in rural Virginia and how many grew up in rural areas.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health Professions
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Skill Mix Versus Flexibility: Decoding Nurse Staffing Impacts on Critical Access Hospitals
Presents a study on the skill mix and flexibility of nurse staffing on the financial stability, care quality, and efficacy of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2023. Correlates skill mix and flexibility with hospital outcomes and controls for hospital-specific, socioeconomic, and demographic factors.
Author(s): Dinesh R. Pai, Esmaeil Bahalkeh
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70075
Date: 08/2025
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Presents a study on the skill mix and flexibility of nurse staffing on the financial stability, care quality, and efficacy of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2023. Correlates skill mix and flexibility with hospital outcomes and controls for hospital-specific, socioeconomic, and demographic factors.
Author(s): Dinesh R. Pai, Esmaeil Bahalkeh
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70075
Date: 08/2025
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The Doctor is … Out: Shortages of Health Professionals in Rural Areas
Reports on healthcare professional shortages in 16 rural New York counties, including rural and county-level data on primary care, dental health, mental health, and maternity care providers. Discusses rural barriers to healthcare access and highlights approaches to strengthen the rural health workforce in New York.
Author(s): Andrea Miller, Maria Doulis, Matthew Golden, Joshua Simons
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of the New York State Comptroller
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Reports on healthcare professional shortages in 16 rural New York counties, including rural and county-level data on primary care, dental health, mental health, and maternity care providers. Discusses rural barriers to healthcare access and highlights approaches to strengthen the rural health workforce in New York.
Author(s): Andrea Miller, Maria Doulis, Matthew Golden, Joshua Simons
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of the New York State Comptroller
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Understanding and Applying for the Rural Health Transformation Program
Blog post providing an overview of the Rural Health Transformation Program established in the July 2025 budget reconciliation law. Covers the program's funding criteria and formula, distribution of funds, expected state application process, and more. Highlights collaborative opportunities that funds may be used for that align with CMS strategic goals. Offers tactical recommendations for state health officials to consider to support the application process.
Author(s): Susan Kansagra, Alexandra Kearly, Madison Hluchan, Orobosa Idehen
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Blog post providing an overview of the Rural Health Transformation Program established in the July 2025 budget reconciliation law. Covers the program's funding criteria and formula, distribution of funds, expected state application process, and more. Highlights collaborative opportunities that funds may be used for that align with CMS strategic goals. Offers tactical recommendations for state health officials to consider to support the application process.
Author(s): Susan Kansagra, Alexandra Kearly, Madison Hluchan, Orobosa Idehen
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Supply, Distribution, and Access to Cardiologists, Oncologists, and Pulmonologists in the Rural and Urban U.S.
Describes the changes in the supply and demand of four specialists - cardiologists, neurologists, oncologists, and pulmonologists - between 2012 and 2022. Compares data on the ratio of these specialists per 100,000 population across urban, large rural, and small/isolated rural areas. Explores the socioeconomic characteristics of rural counties with and without one of these specialists in 2022. Summarizes perspectives of rural health system leaders on how specialty care is accessed by and delivered to rural patients.
Author(s): Signe Burchim, David Evans, Nathan Maris, et al.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Describes the changes in the supply and demand of four specialists - cardiologists, neurologists, oncologists, and pulmonologists - between 2012 and 2022. Compares data on the ratio of these specialists per 100,000 population across urban, large rural, and small/isolated rural areas. Explores the socioeconomic characteristics of rural counties with and without one of these specialists in 2022. Summarizes perspectives of rural health system leaders on how specialty care is accessed by and delivered to rural patients.
Author(s): Signe Burchim, David Evans, Nathan Maris, et al.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Barriers to Accessible and Affordable Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care for Older Adults
Discusses challenges in accessing healthcare for mental health and substance use disorders for older adults. Challenges discussed include workforce shortages in rural areas, Medicare regulations, stigma, health insurance coverage, and more.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Discusses challenges in accessing healthcare for mental health and substance use disorders for older adults. Challenges discussed include workforce shortages in rural areas, Medicare regulations, stigma, health insurance coverage, and more.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Building Healthier Rural Communities: Economic Development Districts Address Social Determinants of Health
Report outlining social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural areas and how Economic Development Districts (EDD) address them. Highlights workforce, infrastructure, food security, health, disaster preparedness, funding, data, and public-private partnerships. Includes a case study from an EDD in North Carolina and highlights the role of hospitals in the community.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Economic Development District Community of Practice, National Association of Development Organizations
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Report outlining social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural areas and how Economic Development Districts (EDD) address them. Highlights workforce, infrastructure, food security, health, disaster preparedness, funding, data, and public-private partnerships. Includes a case study from an EDD in North Carolina and highlights the role of hospitals in the community.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Economic Development District Community of Practice, National Association of Development Organizations
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Rural Health Symposium May 8-9, 2025: Advancing Rural Health Through Research, Policy, and Community Partnerships
Summarizes research presentations, panel discussions, and other proceedings of a May 2025 conference on rural health disparities hosted by the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and Dartmouth Health. Identifies factors contributing to rural health disparities and suggests actions to be taken by healthcare systems, community groups, policymakers, and researchers, among others.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Dartmouth Health, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
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Summarizes research presentations, panel discussions, and other proceedings of a May 2025 conference on rural health disparities hosted by the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and Dartmouth Health. Identifies factors contributing to rural health disparities and suggests actions to be taken by healthcare systems, community groups, policymakers, and researchers, among others.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Dartmouth Health, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice
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The National Dementia Workforce Study: Methods for Surveying Community Clinicians Who Provide Care to People With Dementia
Discusses the design and significance of the National Dementia Workforce Study (NDWS) Community Clinician Survey, which surveys community-based providers of clinical care for people with dementia. Highlights survey methodology related to provider demographics, processes of care, geographic distribution, and more.
Author(s): Elizabeth M. White, James Wagner, Kate Stewart, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Date: 08/2025
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Discusses the design and significance of the National Dementia Workforce Study (NDWS) Community Clinician Survey, which surveys community-based providers of clinical care for people with dementia. Highlights survey methodology related to provider demographics, processes of care, geographic distribution, and more.
Author(s): Elizabeth M. White, James Wagner, Kate Stewart, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Date: 08/2025
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