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Rural Health Information Hub

Other Case Studies and Collections of Program Examples: Recruitment and retention of health professionals

In addition to RHIhub's Rural Health Models and Innovations rural program examples, you may also want to browse other case studies, databases, and websites with collections of health programs.

Each resource listed below uses its own criteria for selecting program examples, which may range from programs known to be effective based on research to anecdotal accounts. In each resource, you may want to review information on the level of evidence required for a program's inclusion.

May include non-rural programs that could be applicable to rural health delivery.

Closing the Gap: How a Community Effort Can Improve Rural Maternity Care
Case study of a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) that increased access to maternal healthcare in rural North Carolina by opening a maternity care center. Discusses recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals and collaboration among healthcare organizations in the community.
Author(s): Jesus Ruiz
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 22(1), 68
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Recruiting and Retaining an International Health Care Workforce
Case study featuring Fisher-Titus Medical Center, a rural community health system in Norwalk, Ohio. Describes how the health system uses international nurses to meet staffing needs. Discusses impacts of their recruitment system and lessons learned.
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Assessing the Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Access to Primary Care for Underserved Populations: Case Study Analysis: Kanawha County, West Virginia
Case study of policy initiatives to increase access to primary care, focusing on Kanawha County, West Virginia. Discusses workforce shortages, healthcare access, structural barriers to primary care, healthcare affordability, and more.
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker, Megan Houston
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Models of Success in Rural Maternity Care: Kearny County Hospital
Profiles the maternity program at Kearny County Hospital, a Critical Access Hospital in rural Lakin, Kansas. Describes key features of the program including mission-based recruitment and strong communication. Includes recommendations for emulating this model.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Mary Gilbertson
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Physician Alliance Well-Being Case Study: Avera Health
Highlights a healthcare system based in South Dakota that serves a primarily rural population. Focuses on their program LIGHT: Live, Improve, Grow, Heal and Treat, which seeks to prevent and address burnout for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Oregon Washington Health Network and Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center "Tackle Everything" to Improve the Health of Local Community Members
Provides an overview of the collaboration between the Oregon Washington Health Network and the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. Discusses programs that include peer counselors to address behavioral health, community education related to heart disease and cancer prevention, and working with local healthcare facilities and medical schools to improve recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Federally Qualified Health Center Initiatives
Reports on Maine's Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Discusses strategies for workforce recruitment and retention, serving high-need patient populations, addressing critical community needs, and providing services that address the social determinants of health. Provides various examples of programs from across the state.
Author(s): Sara Kahn-Troster, Amanda Burgess, Andrew Coburn
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Catherine Cutler Institute, Maine Health Access Foundation
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Innovations in Rural Health System Development: Recruiting and Retaining Maine's Health Care Workforce
Illustrates examples of rural-focused medical education programs to support an adequate supply of physicians in rural Maine. Also, discusses behavioral and oral health workforce development, and promising programs utilizing other types of healthcare workers such as community paramedics and community health workers (CHWs) to increase the availability and accessibility of healthcare in rural Maine and in other rural regions of the U.S.
Author(s): Amanda Burgess, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Health Access Foundation, Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Mississippi Scholarship Program Helps Create More Rural Physicians
The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program is addressing the state's health care crisis by providing incentives for medical students to practice in rural areas.
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Compendium of Rural Best Practices/Models Innovations to Strengthen Rural Health Care: Technology, Training and Workforce Development
Summarizes innovative programs occurring in rural areas, featuring a recruitment and retention network and other models focusing on workforce education and training for behavioral and mental health, transportation, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and chronic disease management.
Date: 2010
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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