Rural Healthcare Workforce – Resources

Exploring Rural Doctors' Early Experiences of Coping With the Emerging COVID-19 Pandemic
Explores the methods rural doctors used to care for patients and cope with the stress of COVID-19. Bases conclusions on interviews with rural physicians detailing the support they gave and received in their practices and their strategies for dealing with the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Ian Couper, Lucie Walters, Susan Williams, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 923-931
Date: 09/2022
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Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages (ACICBL) Meeting Minutes, August 26, 2022
Summarizes the Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary, Community-Based Linkages (ACICBL) meeting held on August 26, 2022. Includes updates from the Bureau of Health Workforce and a discussion on the Geriatric Academic Career Award program (GACA) and Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP). Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary Community-Based Linkages
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Family Medicine Residencies: How Rural Training Exposure in GME Is Associated With Subsequent Rural Practice
Results of a study exploring associations between the amount of rural training received by 12,162 physicians during their U.S. accredited family medicine (FM) residencies between 2008-2012 and their practice locations in rural or urban areas as of 2018. Features statistics including characteristics of FM residency programs and graduates, and per cent of FM residency training in rural location, with breakdowns by 2018 urban or rural practice location.
Author(s): Deborah J. Russell, Elizabeth Wilkinson, Stephen Petterson, Candice Chen, Andrew Bazemore
Citation: Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 14(4), 441–450.
Date: 08/2022
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Staffing Hurdles Chip Away at Access to Care
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural hospital leaders between March 2-April 15, 2022. Explores how rural hospitals are navigating COVID-19 vaccination mandates and the continued impact of nurse staffing shortages on the delivery of care. Discusses drivers of nurse turnover at rural hospitals.
Author(s): Michael Topchik, Troy Brown, Melanie Pinette, Billy Balfour
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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The Racial and Ethnic Diversity of the Family Physician Workforce in Non-Metropolitan and Metropolitan Counties
Policy brief exploring distribution of family physicians (FPs) in rural areas by race/ethnicity and whether rural minority physicians were more likely to work in underserved rural areas. Features statistics on characteristics of early career FPs practicing outpatient care from 2017-2019, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and non-core non-metropolitan location, and race of FPs practicing in persistent poverty or primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas, by stage in career.
Author(s): Lars E. Peterson, Zachary J. Morgan
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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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
Sponsoring organization: The Conference Board
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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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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Hospital and Outpatient Clinician Workforce: Challenges and Policy Responses
Describes hospital and outpatient clinician healthcare workforce shortages and maldistribution both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the pandemic on the mental and physical health of the workforce. Provides an overview of federal interventions to support the healthcare workforce during the pandemic. Includes discussion on challenges specific to rural communities.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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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
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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
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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