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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Recruitment and retention of health professionals

Rx for the Rural Healthcare Workforce and Access to Care
Podcast with Tom Morris of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy about trends related to the rural healthcare workforce and efforts to overcome challenges. Discusses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, rural hospital closures, telehealth, graduate medical education in rural areas, community health workers and community paramedics, funding opportunities to promote healthcare access in rural areas, the opioid crisis, and more.
Author(s): Jessica Nicholson
Date: 05/2022
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: The Conference Board
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Primary Care Practice Patterns of UNR Med Graduates – 2005 to 2018
Examines the practice types and locations of 776 primary care graduates from the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine undergraduate medical education between 2005 and 2018. Figure 7 contrasts the number of graduates practicing primary care in Nevada overall with the number working in rural Nevada.
Author(s): Jesse Barnes, Tabor Griswold, John Packham
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Health Workforce Research Center
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Medical Education Interventions Influencing Physician Distribution into Underserved Communities: A Scoping Review
Review of 130 articles, categorized by preferential admissions criteria, undergraduate or postgraduate training in rural or underserved areas, financial incentives, and initiatives composed of various combinations of these interventions. Intended to help map current evidence on educational interventions designed to influence physicians' decisions to practice in rural and underserved areas.
Author(s): Asiana Elma, Muhammadhasan Nasser, Laurie Yang, et al.
Citation: Human Resources for Health, 20(31)
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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March 2022 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) March 2022 meeting. Covers findings from MedPAC's annual beneficiary and clinician focus groups, Medicare payment policies to support safety-net providers, opportunities to strengthen the geriatric workforce, integrating episode-based payment with population-based payment, and improving Medicare Advantage risk adjustment. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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COVID-19 and the Rural Health Workforce: The Impact of Federal Pandemic Funding to Address Workforce Needs
Policy brief describing workforce challenges faced by rural healthcare delivery systems during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discussing how pre-pandemic financial instability in rural healthcare facilities may have contributed to these challenges. Discusses the availability of federal pandemic funding to address rural health workforce needs, the ability of rural facilities to access and utilize the funding, and the long-term needs of the rural health workforce and delivery system. Addresses telehealth solutions to workforce challenges, and funding sources for mental health needs of health professionals
Author(s): Natalia V. Oster, Davis G. Patterson, Susan M. Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Current State of the Health Center Workforce: Pandemic Challenges and Policy Solutions to Strengthen the Workforce of the Future
Presents results of a February 2022 survey regarding health center employee turnover in the prior 6 months. Compares survey results from urban and rural health centers, as well as the smallest and largest health centers. Identifies the workforce categories with the highest rates of employee turnover and the most common reasons for staff departures. Discusses policies that can be used to recruit and retain health center staff.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
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Veterans Health Care: Efforts to Hire Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
Describes efforts taken by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to promote the hiring of licensed professional mental health counselors (LPMHC) and marriage and family therapists (MFT) at Department of Veterans Affairs' facilities. Examines the extent to which VA medical facilities are employing LPMHCs and MFTs and how their recent employment compares with other mental health professions. Discusses considerations regarding the availability of LPMHCs and MFTs in rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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NHSC New Sites Application Cycle Webinar
Recording of a March 23, 2022, webinar providing an overview of rural healthcare facilities interested in applying to be a new National Health Service Corps (NHSC) site. Discusses the NHSC loan repayment and scholarship programs, the benefits of becoming an NHSC-approved site, and the eligibility requirements and application process to become an approved site. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Transcript
Date: 03/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Health Resources and Services Administration, National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Rural Physician Recruitment and Staffing Survey Results
White paper examining the results of an October 2021 survey of 1,311 physicians,169 administrators, and 158 advanced practice providers. Describes characteristics of respondents with breakdowns by urban, suburban, or rural location. Explores top reasons for choosing a rural practice location, incentives with the greatest influence, and reasons for declining offers.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Jackson Physician Search
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Toward a Sustainable and Diversified Rural Health Workforce
Policy position paper focused on the rural health workforce. Provides an analysis of rural healthcare workforce data as well as federal and state policy levers related to the healthcare workforce. Offers policy recommendations and identifies areas for future analysis.
Author(s): Alison Coates, Whitney Zahnd, Courtney Burgin
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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