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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physician assistants

Primary Care Clinicians in Low-Access Counties
Evaluates the weighted contribution of advanced practice providers to the primary care workforce in well-served and underserved counties in North Carolina. Features statistics on population per primary care clinician by North Carolina county and composition of the North Carolina primary care workforce from 2017-2019, and a county-level map with shadings showing percentages of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified nurse-midwives in 2017-2019.
Author(s): Adam J. Zolotor, Evan Galloway, Margaret Beal, Erin P. Fraher
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 83(3), 163-168
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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How States Can Expand Health Care Access in Rural Communities
Discusses policy options states could use to increase access to care and the supply of healthcare providers in rural areas. Covers financial assistance programs for medical and dental education; malpractice reform; scope of practice changes for advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and dental health aide therapists; telemedicine parity; and mobile clinics.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Primary Care Physicians and Physician Assistants in Texas
Report of primary care physicians and physician assistants in Texas including a break down of by gender and age in both metro and non-metro locations. Also includes graphics depicting county-level ratios of physicians and physician assistants per 100,000 people and counties without a physician or physician assistant.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Vermont Baseline Needs Assessment: Rural and Non-Rural Practitioners
Report details a needs assessment of Vermont's practitioners' capacity to treat substance use disorder (SUD) and compares rural and urban counties. Breaks down workforce distribution by county, by rural versus urban, and by the type of SUD treatment they are able to provide, as well as their MAT waiver status, among other measures.
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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Texas Women and Women's Health Providers: Metro v. Non-Metro
Report on the number of women's health providers in rural and urban areas of Texas. Includes a county-level breakdown of the ratio of providers per 100,000 people as well as counties with no providers. Also includes a comparison of the number of types of providers and average ages between rural and urban areas.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Projections of Supply and Demand for Women's Health Service Providers: 2018-2030
Presents projections of supply and demand for obstetricians/gynecologists, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, and discusses the contribution of family medicine physicians in the delivery of women's health services. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Bureau of Health Workforce, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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Assessment of Changes in Rural and Urban Primary Care Workforce in the United States From 2009 to 2017
Results of a study comparing the primary care workforce and its growth between urban and rural counties or county-equivalents from 2009-2017. Features county-level maps showing the distribution of primary care physicians and non-physician clinicians, and statistics with breakdowns by provider type and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Donglan Zhang, Heejung Son, Ye Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(10)
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
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Advance Care Planning: New Realities in Times of COVID-19
Examines the challenges of advance care planning, planning for decision-making in times of medical crisis, due to COVID-19. Shares insights from clinicians and others involved in helping rural patients.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Supply and Distribution of the Primary Care Workforce in Rural America: 2019
Details the supply of primary care providers in rural and urban areas in the U.S. Compares rates of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants per 100,000 people by county across the country. Features a state-level analysis.
Additional links: State-level Analysis
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Lisa A. Garberson, et al.
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Arizona Health Workforce Profile: Physician Assistants
Brief reporting on the physician assistant (PA) workforce in Arizona, including a county map with information on PAs per 100,000 residents and distribution in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): B Koch, S Coates, B Coplan, et al.
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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