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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Scope of practice

Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Rural Training in Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowships
Highlights a study on access to rural-focused family medicine obstetrics (FM OB) fellowships for family medicine residency graduates. Explores the availability of rural-specific FM OB fellowships and the challenges programs face in providing rurally-oriented training to family medicine physicians. Breaks down data by fellowship type, training curriculum, and rurality of location, among other measures.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Factors Associated With Health Care Professionals' Choice to Practice in Rural Minnesota
Analyzes the factors that impact a healthcare practitioner's choice to work in rural or urban Minnesota. Utilizes 2021-2022 data from 32,086 respondents to observe feedback from advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), physicians, physician assistants (PAs), and registered nurses (RNs). Discusses issues such as where the practitioner grew up, scope of practice, loan forgiveness opportunities, internship experiences, financial or family considerations, and more.
Author(s): Teri Fritsma, Carrie Henning-Smith, Jacqueline L. Gauer, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(5)
Date: 05/2023
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Access to Maternity Providers: Midwives and Birth Centers
Provides an overview of the role of certified nurse-midwives and birth centers in Medicaid and how beneficiaries use these services. Describes policy issues and barriers to expanding access to midwives and birth centers, including payment policies; contracting with managed care organizations; licensure, certification, and accreditation; scope of practice; and limited supply. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Rural Versus Urban Family Medicine Residency Scope of Training and Practice
Compares rural and urban residency programs related to graduates' perceptions of preparation for practice as well as postgraduation scope of practice (SOP). Examines 6,483 physicians surveyed 3 years after residency graduation and 44,325 physicians surveyed every 7 to 10 years after certification. Provides data on rural versus urban residency graduates and discusses differences in graduates' experiences by residency location.
Author(s): Samantha W. Pollack, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Lars Peterson, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 55
Date: 01/2023
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Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners in Indiana: A White Paper
A policy paper focused on nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice in Indiana. Discusses requirements to become an NP, places in the U.S. that allow full practice NPs, and recommendations related to scope of practice and the impact on rural and underserved areas.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Indiana Rural Health Association
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State Strategies to Support the Future of the Primary Care Physician and Nursing Workforce
Discusses primary care physician and nursing workforce challenges, including the shortage of these providers in rural and underserved areas. Describes policies and strategies implemented by states to address these challenges. Offers resources for states, health systems, and academic institutions exploring innovative strategies to address healthcare workforce challenges.
Author(s): Elaine Chhean, Anita Cardwell, Lauren Block, Sarah Tocher
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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'Filling the Cracks': How a Rural Maine Community Kept its 24/7 Urgent Care Open with Paramedics
Features a pilot program serving rural Maine where paramedics take shifts staffing the local health center after-hours and on weekends.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provider and Patient Satisfaction With the Dental Therapy Workforce at Apple Tree Dental
Describes satisfaction of clinical providers, organizational administrators, and patients with the dental therapy workforce at Apple Tree Dental Centers, a not-for-profit community dental organization with locations in urban and rural Minnesota. Features demographics with breakdowns by urban or rural location of clinic and residence of patients.
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Simona Surdu, Ellen O'Malley
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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The Northern Border Region: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis
Chartbook examining population health and healthcare access for Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, and for the region overall. Identifies strengths and assets of the Northern Border region states, as well as opportunities for improvement. Features demographics and statistics on quality of care, health outcomes, health behaviors, mortality rates and causes, Health Professional Shortage Areas, telehealth policies, and telehealth grants awarded from 2018-2021. Includes maps showing locations of substance use treatment facilities, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and hospitals.
Author(s): Katherine Ahrens, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski, et al.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Rural Health Research Center, Northern Border Regional Commission
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Learning From COVID-19-Related Flexibilities: Moving Toward More Person-Centered Medicare and Medicaid Programs
Presents a person-centered framework to facilitate policymakers' decisions regarding the future of COVID-19-related temporary regulatory flexibilities. Identifies priority flexibilities that should be considered for permanence, modification, or further evaluation. Covers regulatory flexibilities regarding telehealth, scope of practice, Medicare Advantage requirements, and more. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, Manatt Health, The Scan Foundation
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