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Rural Health Information Hub

Education and Training of the Rural Healthcare Workforce – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Education and Training of the Rural Healthcare Workforce.

Changing the Narrative — Rural Healthcare Opportunities and the Role of Emerging Leaders
Highlights programs that are shaping the next generation of rural health leaders. Features National Rural Health Association programs that strengthen current leaders' skills, as well as educational programs in Iowa, South Carolina, and Oregon.
Author(s): Kristin D. Wilson, Hallie Vonk
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Training the Primary Care Workforce to Deliver Team-Based Care in Underserved Areas: The Teaching Health Center Program
Provides an overview of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program. Describes the THCGME program's outcomes in training primary care medical and dental providers, the practice settings of THCGME family medicine graduates, and services provided by program graduates. Profiles four THCGME programs, including three programs that serve tribal or rural areas. Discusses challenges facing Teaching Health Centers, proposed solutions, and key takeaways and recommendations for policymakers.
Author(s): Emily Hawes, Jacob Rains, Candice Chen, Erin Fraher
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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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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Rural Track Programs: A Guide to the Updated Medicare Requirements
An overview of the requirements to participate in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Track Program (RTP), which is a partnership between an urban hospital - the primary clinical site - and rural site(s) for medical residency training. Describes how the RTP program differs from the earlier rural training track (RTT) program.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of American Medical Colleges
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An Exploratory Study of a Hands-On Naloxone Training for Rural Clinicians and Staff
Presents a study on the efficacy of a hands-on naloxone training for rural healthcare providers as a means of reducing opioid overdose fatalities in rural areas. Discusses the fentanyl-driven surge in opioid overdose deaths and describes the 1-hour training session, which involved a lecture and hands-on training with naloxone.
Author(s): Shameka L. Cody, Cheryl B. Hines, Christina J. Glenn, et al.
Citation: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 55(3), 599-604
Date: 05/2023
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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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A Match Made in Rural: Interpreting Match Rates and Exploring Best Practices
Documents patterns in match rates for rural versus urban residency programs, compares rural residency match rates with program characteristics for match years 2009-2013, examines the association of match rates with program outcomes for graduates in years 2013-2015, and explores recruitment strategies using residency coordinator interviews.
Author(s): Randall Longenecker, Natalia V. Oster, Lars Peterson, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 55(7), 426-432
Date: 04/2023
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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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Integration of Case-Based Dialogue to Enhance Medical Students' Understanding of Using Health Communication to Address Social Determinants of Health
Examines the impact of case-based social determinants of health (SDOH) curriculum on third year medical student knowledge related to SDOH and willingness to care for patients with various cultural differences and needs. Analyzes pre- and post-test survey answers from 640 medical students about their SDOH perceptions and knowledge, including confidence levels in working with rural and medically underresourced patients.
Author(s): Jalysa King, Jennifer Taylor
Citation: Advances in Medical Education and Practice,14, 237-244
Date: 03/2023
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Thomas Jefferson University Program Reflects on Nearly 50 Years of Producing Rural Doctors
Features the Physician Shortage Area Program (PSAP), which has recruited and supported medical students from rural backgrounds who want to practice in rural communities since 1974. Describes how the program works and highlights its successes.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Last Updated: 10/22/2025