Rural Healthcare Workforce – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Workforce.
Barriers to Rural Health Care From the Provider Perspective
Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
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Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
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Understanding the U.S. Behavioral Health Workforce Shortage
Discusses the shortage of behavioral health professionals across the country and highlights some of the contributing factors. Breaks down factors affecting licensed providers, clinical supporters, community care workers, and frontline workers. Makes recommendations for policymakers and includes considerations for rural areas.
Author(s): Nathaniel Counts
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Discusses the shortage of behavioral health professionals across the country and highlights some of the contributing factors. Breaks down factors affecting licensed providers, clinical supporters, community care workers, and frontline workers. Makes recommendations for policymakers and includes considerations for rural areas.
Author(s): Nathaniel Counts
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Challenges and Solutions for Disaster Behavioral Health in Rural and Remote Communities
Describes the scope and diversity of rural and remote populations across the nation, highlighting sources of strength and struggle, including the effects of stigma, for rural Americans and rural healthcare providers. Explores potential approaches to disaster behavioral health in rural and remote areas, including governmental and policy approaches, community-based approaches, and telemedicine.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center
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Describes the scope and diversity of rural and remote populations across the nation, highlighting sources of strength and struggle, including the effects of stigma, for rural Americans and rural healthcare providers. Explores potential approaches to disaster behavioral health in rural and remote areas, including governmental and policy approaches, community-based approaches, and telemedicine.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center
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Landscape of the Health Informatics Workforce: Rapid Response Brief
Focuses on the clinical informatics and public health, population health, and social service informatics subdomains of the health informatics workforce. Mentions resource hubs that serve rural communities by providing guidelines, toolkits, screening tools, and other resources. Examines social determinants of health and gives examples of clinical informatics work that can improve access to care for rural and underserved populations. Features statistics on physicians certified in clinical informatics from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Cynthia LeRouge, Shahida Shahrir, Bianca K Frogner
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Focuses on the clinical informatics and public health, population health, and social service informatics subdomains of the health informatics workforce. Mentions resource hubs that serve rural communities by providing guidelines, toolkits, screening tools, and other resources. Examines social determinants of health and gives examples of clinical informatics work that can improve access to care for rural and underserved populations. Features statistics on physicians certified in clinical informatics from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Cynthia LeRouge, Shahida Shahrir, Bianca K Frogner
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Examining Existing Federal Programs to Build a Stronger Health Workforce and Improve Primary Care
Recording of an April 2023 U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on federal government programs and legislation related to supporting the healthcare workforce and improving primary care. Features testimony from Carole Johnson, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Includes discussions on the rural health workforce throughout.
Additional links: Carole Johnson, Health Resources and Services Administration - Testimony
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Recording of an April 2023 U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on federal government programs and legislation related to supporting the healthcare workforce and improving primary care. Features testimony from Carole Johnson, the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Includes discussions on the rural health workforce throughout.
Additional links: Carole Johnson, Health Resources and Services Administration - Testimony
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Rewards and Frustrations of Rural Surgery Practice
Discusses challenges in rural surgery practice, such as demographic trends, workforce shortages, issues with surgical training, rural hospital closures, and economic pressures. Includes a link to video featuring Michael Sarap and Alisha D. Reiss, of the American College of Surgeons.
Author(s): Michael Sarap, Alisha D. Reiss
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: American College of Surgeons
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Discusses challenges in rural surgery practice, such as demographic trends, workforce shortages, issues with surgical training, rural hospital closures, and economic pressures. Includes a link to video featuring Michael Sarap and Alisha D. Reiss, of the American College of Surgeons.
Author(s): Michael Sarap, Alisha D. Reiss
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: American College of Surgeons
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How Community Health Workers Are Impacting Rural Communities
Describes ways in which communities can use funding to build community health worker programs in order to reduce health disparities. Highlights the University of Kansas Medical Center's Local Health Equity Action Teams initiative in 10 counties, 6 of which are rural.
Author(s): Shelby Rowell
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Describes ways in which communities can use funding to build community health worker programs in order to reduce health disparities. Highlights the University of Kansas Medical Center's Local Health Equity Action Teams initiative in 10 counties, 6 of which are rural.
Author(s): Shelby Rowell
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Availability of Healthcare Providers in Rural Areas Lags That of Urban Areas
Bar chart showing metro and nonmetro primary care physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals per 10,000 residents.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Bar chart showing metro and nonmetro primary care physicians, dentists, and other healthcare professionals per 10,000 residents.
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Worker Burnout in Healthcare: Metro vs. Non-Metro
Examines job satisfaction and turnover intentions by metro and non-metro location, as well as additional characteristics related to burnout including job category, education, geography, income, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Examines job satisfaction and turnover intentions by metro and non-metro location, as well as additional characteristics related to burnout including job category, education, geography, income, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Availability of Behavioral Health Providers and Services in Rural Areas, with Holly Andrilla
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Holly Andrilla, Deputy Director of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on rural availability of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors, as well as recent developments in access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring Holly Andrilla, Deputy Director of the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Focuses on rural availability of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors, as well as recent developments in access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Last Updated: 4/3/2025