Rural Health
News by Topic: Health occupations
Jan 27, 2023 - Montana Senate Bill 112 addresses the physician shortage by expanding the limited authority Montana gives pharmacists to prescribe medications and devices. Supporters said the measure could help fill healthcare gaps in rural areas in particular, while opponents worry it would give pharmacists physician-like authority without the same education.
Source: Kaiser Health News
Jan 25, 2023 - A report issued by the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission found that for every rural Pennsylvania dentist there are 15 nonrural dentists. The report suggests that it would be helpful to expand technology use and mobile dentistry, to recruit dental students from rural Pennsylvania, and to offer more incentives for rural dentistry.
Source: The Center Square
Jan 24, 2023 - Highlights a report from GoodRx Research, stating that more than 113,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) live in 492 counties that lack mental health providers. The study also found that counties with a higher population of AI/AN residents had a lower percentage of households with access to telehealth. States with the highest numbers of mental health deserts are Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Alaska. South Dakota and Alaska are among the states with highest numbers of AI/AN residents living in mental health deserts.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jan 22, 2023 - 13 of the 15 Iowa nursing homes that closed in 2022 were in rural areas. A nationwide nursing home workforce shortage and lack of open nursing home beds results in patients sometimes being transferred to facilities far from their hometowns, especially if they have dementia, obesity, or other conditions that require extra attention.
Source: NBC News, Kaiser Health News
Jan 20, 2023 - Due to the recent deaths of two physicians who practiced in Molokai, Hawaii, there are now fewer than four fulltime equivalent primary care doctors serving about 7,000 residents on the island. An additional 776 physicians are needed in Hawaii to meet patient demand, and the greatest shortage is in primary care.
Source: Honolulu Civil Beat
Jan 16, 2023 - The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline was launched in July 2022 and received over 1.7 million calls, texts, and chats in its first five months. The program has received close to $1 billion in funding from the federal government, including more than $500 million in the federal spending bill.
Source: NPR
Jan 11, 2023 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on revisions to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps Interest Capture Form. The purpose of the form is to enable individuals and clinical sites to ask questions about the NHSC and/or Nurse Corps Scholarship and Loan Repayment Programs, and to provide their contact information so that HRSA may provide them with periodic program updates and other general information. Comments are due by March 13, 2023.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 10, 2023 - A new study shows that rural Michigan residents are much more likely to develop skin cancer than those in urban areas. The researchers say contributing factors include a lack of dermatologists in many rural areas, a greater percentage of people who work outdoors, and a higher number of light-skinned people, who are more likely to develop cancer.
Source: Great Lakes Echo
Jan 10, 2023 - Describes new two Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) studies, with findings drawn from KFF's Behavioral Health Survey of state Medicaid programs. The first study explores expansion of telehealth and of the types of providers who may be reimbursed for telehealth delivery of behavioral health services. The second examines strategies some state Medicaid programs are implementing to address the behavioral health workforce shortage.
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Jan 10, 2023 - Describes experiences of Western Carolina University nursing students enrolled in the RNs in Primary Care project. This is a Health Resources and Services Administration-funded program geared toward exposing nursing students and nurses to primary care-focused practice and helping them build skills in care coordination.
Source: Western Carolina University