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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Loans, loan repayment, and loan forgiveness for health careers

Utah's Mental Health Workforce 2021: A Study on the Supply and Distribution of Clinical Mental Health Counselors, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Psychologists in Utah
Discusses mental health provider demographic changes, practice characteristic changes, and projections for the future supply of Utah's mental health workforce. Offer policy recommendations for strengthening the rural mental healthcare workforce, and features statistics including county-by-county distribution of mental health professionals, with breakdowns by urban, rural, and frontier locations,
Author(s): Sydney Groesbeck, Jerry Bounsanga, Andrew Salt, Clark Ruttinger
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Utah Health Workforce Information Center
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It Takes a Village: Rural Recruitment and Retention
Provides an overview of the challenges of recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals in rural areas. Features healthcare facilities in North Dakota and Kansas, describing how they work with their communities to attract healthcare providers.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Recruitment and Retention Issues for Counselors in Rural Pennsylvania Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs
Results of a study of Pennsylvania substance use disorder (SUD) counselors and directors of treatment programs and clinics, to assess the characteristics of treatment counselors in rural Pennsylvania counties and how those characteristics relate to recruitment and retention issues. Also examines how well higher education institutions in rural counties prepare those entering the profession, and analyzes the effectiveness of state-level incentives, like the student loan repayment program, to attract potential SUD counselors. Features statistics on counselors' characteristics and duties, and client characteristics.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Jennifer Murphy
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Oklahoma National Health Service Corps Providers (NHSC) All Disciplines
Map of Oklahoma showing the locations of all National Health Service Corps (NHSC) dental health, mental health, and primary care providers in the state.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma Office of Primary Care and Rural Health Development
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2021 Maryland Primary Care Needs Assessment
Identifies areas of focus for primary, dental, and mental healthcare and services in Maryland. Includes sections on Health Professional Shortage Areas, Medically Underserved Areas and Populations, Federally Qualified Health Centers, the J-1 Visa Waiver program, and the State Loan Repayment Program.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Department of Health
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Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program: Too Early to Determine Effects of Allowing Recipients to Serve at For-Profit Facilities
Provides an overview of the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program as well as how the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) manages the program. Examines the effects of eliminating the restrictions on program participants working at for-profit facilities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Health Workforce Strategies for California: A Review of the Evidence
Examines literature and evidence on healthcare workforce strategies, discussing workforce issues in urban and rural areas in California. Describes the impacts of pipeline, scholarship, loan repayment, professional training, and residency programs, including rural-specific considerations.
Author(s): Diane Rittenhouse, Alexandra Ament, Janet Genevro, Kara Contreary
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organizations: California Health Care Foundation, Mathematica
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Student Loan Programs Authorized by the Public Health Service Act: An Overview
Provides an overview of student loan programs for health profession students authorized by the Public Health Service Act and administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Describes borrower eligibility requirements, loan terms and conditions, and administrative rules. Includes a table comparing the programs by borrower type, repayment terms, the number of participating schools, and the number and financial amount of outstanding loans.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Loan Repayment Sites in Arizona Medically Underserved Areas 2021
Identifies the loan repayment sites in Arizona's Medically Underserved Areas.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Louisiana Primary Care Needs Assessment: Closing the Gap on Healthcare Disparities and Workforce Shortages
Identifies unmet needs and disparities in health outcomes in Louisiana, explores health workforce concerns, and discusses barriers to accessing healthcare. Includes a section on Health Professional Shortage Areas and mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Hayley Alexander, Barrie Black, Nicole Coarsey, Kimberly Brent
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: Well-Ahead Louisiana
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