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

The Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations: An Assessment of the Literature
Review of research literature to assess whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access for rural and underserved populations has been effective in reducing healthcare disparities. Initiatives considered include availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Additional links: Fact Sheet: Alleviating Structural Barriers to Obtaining Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Bringing Outpatient Clinics into Communities, Fact Sheet: Ensuring Comfort and Communication in the Delivery of Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Clinicians, Fact Sheet: Removing Financial Barriers to Primary Care
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Nia Gooding
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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"It's the Relationships": Q&A with Peggy Broussard Wheeler
An interview with Peggy Broussard Wheeler, Vice President of Policy at the California Hospital Association. Covers the challenges rural hospitals face during the pandemic, health equity efforts, workforce issues, and more. Discusses how rural hospitals work together to address concerns.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Expanded Eligibility Allows More Rural Clinicians to Qualify for Loan Repayment
Webinar recording discusses the expansion of eligibility for the National Health Services Corps (NHSC) loan repayment program. Includes information on the different programs available, the reward amounts, and the eligibility for each. Features presentations from representatives of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, 3RNET, and the NHSC.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The National Health Service Corps
Provides an overview of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program, including the federal scholarship and loan repayment components, and explains how the program affects rural recruitment and retention. Highlights changes in FY2018 focusing on opioid and substance use disorder treatment providers, as well as the provision of funding to expand the number of scholarship and loan repayment awards through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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State of Maine: The J-1 Visa Waiver Program
Offers program information and guidelines for requesting a J-1 waiver in Maine. Includes a checklist of documents required, an addendum to the physician employment agreement, and suggestions for successful recruitment and retention.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being
Explores the potential to drive policy and systems change to better support the health workforce and the health of all communities. Includes sections on creating and sustaining positive work environments, investing in strategies and research, supporting mental health and reducing stigma, addressing policy barriers, using technology tools, and recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Medical School Impact on the Primary Care Physician Shortage in Pennsylvania: Staff Study
Describes training required to become a physician in Pennsylvania and examines issues contributing to primary care physician shortages, including student debt burden, burnout, and low investment in primary care. Features information on primary care initiatives from Pennsylvania's medical schools, including health workforce pipeline programs, and statistics including average number of graduates matching into primary care specialties from each institution, estimates of how many graduates intend to specialize in primary care, and how many are retained by the state. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Bryan W. DeWalt, Stephen J. Kramer, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska Legislative Report FY 2020 & 2021
Provides an overview of the demographic and geographic characteristics of the behavioral health workforce in Nebraska. Discusses behavioral health workforce recruitment, education, funding, and retention strategies in the state. Compares the supply of behavioral health providers in Nebraska versus the national average, in addition to rural versus urban areas of Nebraska. Includes maps of provider locations, training locations, and integrated primary care/behavioral health care clinics across the state.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska
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Public Health Forward: Modernizing the U.S. Public Health System
Provides a framework for policymakers and public health officials to guide investments and decision-making to implement a public health system to address challenges beyond the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on equity. Covers six core areas: financing, laws and governance, community engagement, partnerships, workforce, and data and information technology. Highlights challenges and considerations for rural communities and Tribal nations throughout.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Nursing Workforce
Provides summaries of research on the rural nursing workforce. Features statistics on RN-to-BSN education programs, nurse practitioners as primary care providers, job preparedness and satisfaction, rural challenges, and distribution of nurses across principal employers from 2011-2015, with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Jessica Rosencrans, Per Ostmo
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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