Rural Healthcare Workforce – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Workforce.
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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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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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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Recruiting, Revitalizing & Diversifying: Examining the Health Care Workforce Shortage
Recording of February 10, 2022 testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, offering recommendations for strategies to alleviate anticipated shortages in the healthcare workforce, including in rural areas. Features testimonies by representatives of the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium, Xavier University of Louisiana, the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement, and the Heritage Foundation.
Additional links: C. Reynold Verret Testimony, Margaret Flinter Testimony, Norma Quinones Testimony, Rachel Greszler Testimony
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Recording of February 10, 2022 testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, offering recommendations for strategies to alleviate anticipated shortages in the healthcare workforce, including in rural areas. Features testimonies by representatives of the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium, Xavier University of Louisiana, the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement, and the Heritage Foundation.
Additional links: C. Reynold Verret Testimony, Margaret Flinter Testimony, Norma Quinones Testimony, Rachel Greszler Testimony
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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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
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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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
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Improving Behavioral Health Services for Individuals with SMI in Rural and Remote Communities
Discusses behavioral health workforce shortages in rural and remote areas and the effect this has on healthcare access for people with serious mental illness (SMI). Highlights strategies for reducing barriers to access and improve workforce retention. Provides examples of programs to improve access in various states.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: American Psychiatric Association, SMI Adviser, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Discusses behavioral health workforce shortages in rural and remote areas and the effect this has on healthcare access for people with serious mental illness (SMI). Highlights strategies for reducing barriers to access and improve workforce retention. Provides examples of programs to improve access in various states.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: American Psychiatric Association, SMI Adviser, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area Designations Before and After the Affordable Care Act's Shortage Designation Modernization Project
Results of a study using Health Resources and Services Administration files and county-level Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area (PC-HPSA) designations, population, and primary care physician (PCP) counts from 2010 to 2018, to determine HPSA trends and population-to-PCP ratios. Features county-level maps showing geographic distribution of PC-HPSA designations in 2010 and 2018, and statistics on temporal changes in PC-HPSA designations and population-to-PCP ratios.
Author(s): Christopher A. Scannell, Jacob Q. Quinton, Nicholas J. Jackson, Yusuke Tsugawa
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7)
Date: 07/2021
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Results of a study using Health Resources and Services Administration files and county-level Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area (PC-HPSA) designations, population, and primary care physician (PCP) counts from 2010 to 2018, to determine HPSA trends and population-to-PCP ratios. Features county-level maps showing geographic distribution of PC-HPSA designations in 2010 and 2018, and statistics on temporal changes in PC-HPSA designations and population-to-PCP ratios.
Author(s): Christopher A. Scannell, Jacob Q. Quinton, Nicholas J. Jackson, Yusuke Tsugawa
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7)
Date: 07/2021
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A Dire Shortage and Getting Worse: Solving the Crisis in the Health Care Workforce
Video of a May 20, 2021 U.S. Senate hearing with testimony from representatives of the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Medical Association, Albany (Georgia) Area Primary Health Care, and the University of New England. Examines lack of access to high-quality care in rural and underserved areas, and the importance of training students likely to practice in rural areas.
Additional links: David J. Skorton Statement, James D. Herbert Statement, Leon McDougle Statement, Shelley Spires Statement
Author(s): David J. Skorton, Leon McDougle, Shelley Spires, James D. Herbert
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Video of a May 20, 2021 U.S. Senate hearing with testimony from representatives of the Association of American Medical Colleges, the National Medical Association, Albany (Georgia) Area Primary Health Care, and the University of New England. Examines lack of access to high-quality care in rural and underserved areas, and the importance of training students likely to practice in rural areas.
Additional links: David J. Skorton Statement, James D. Herbert Statement, Leon McDougle Statement, Shelley Spires Statement
Author(s): David J. Skorton, Leon McDougle, Shelley Spires, James D. Herbert
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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The Distribution of the General Surgery Workforce in Rural and Urban America in 2019
Explores regional, rural-urban, and intra-rural differences in the supply of general surgeons, using 2019 data. Compares the 2019 findings to results of a similar analysis using 2001 data. Intended to give policymakers, workforce analysts, and medical educators an up-to-date picture of current and long-term trends in supply and distribution of the rural and urban general surgeon workforce. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, rural, large rural, and small rural locations.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, John Kearney, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Explores regional, rural-urban, and intra-rural differences in the supply of general surgeons, using 2019 data. Compares the 2019 findings to results of a similar analysis using 2001 data. Intended to give policymakers, workforce analysts, and medical educators an up-to-date picture of current and long-term trends in supply and distribution of the rural and urban general surgeon workforce. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, rural, large rural, and small rural locations.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, John Kearney, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Investing in a Health Workforce that Meets Rural Needs
Offers suggestions for advancing sustainable financing of rural training and practice and developing strategic planning to build a more flexible, dynamic, and interprofessional rural workforce. Includes a brief overview of current graduate medical education financing in the United States.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Offers suggestions for advancing sustainable financing of rural training and practice and developing strategic planning to build a more flexible, dynamic, and interprofessional rural workforce. Includes a brief overview of current graduate medical education financing in the United States.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Physician Density by Specialty Type in Urban and Rural Counties in the US, 2010 to 2017
Examines trends in physician density in rural and urban counties among primary care physicians, medical specialists, surgical specialists, or other specialists. Features statistics with breakdowns by large metropolitan, medium or small metropolitan, or rural counties.
Author(s): Sara R. Machado, Sahan Jayawardana, Elias Mossialos, Muthiah Vaduganathan
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(1)
Date: 01/2021
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Examines trends in physician density in rural and urban counties among primary care physicians, medical specialists, surgical specialists, or other specialists. Features statistics with breakdowns by large metropolitan, medium or small metropolitan, or rural counties.
Author(s): Sara R. Machado, Sahan Jayawardana, Elias Mossialos, Muthiah Vaduganathan
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(1)
Date: 01/2021
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Last Updated: 12/26/2025