Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health occupations
Connected Care for Older Adults: A Pilot Intervention Engaging Community Health Workers to Advance Age-Friendly Care in Rural Oregon
Describes a pilot program implementing the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System framework by embedding community health workers in rural primary care teams for 388 older adult medically frail patients. Assesses patient and clinician satisfaction and associated healthcare utilization.
Author(s): Bryanna De Lima, Lindsay Miller, Elizabeth Foster, Jodi Ready, Elizabeth Eckstrom
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2026
Date: 01/2026
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Describes a pilot program implementing the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System framework by embedding community health workers in rural primary care teams for 388 older adult medically frail patients. Assesses patient and clinician satisfaction and associated healthcare utilization.
Author(s): Bryanna De Lima, Lindsay Miller, Elizabeth Foster, Jodi Ready, Elizabeth Eckstrom
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2026
Date: 01/2026
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Rural Practice Made Attractive: A Scoping Review of Rural Primary Care Physician Recruitment and Retention Incentives
Offers a scoping review on the effectiveness of 17 workforce development programs aiming to retain rural primary care physicians. Discusses the lack of systematically collected retention data and the impact on effective evaluation of these programs.
Author(s): Kelley Arredondo, Katherine Bay, Laura Witte, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2026
Date: 01/2026
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Offers a scoping review on the effectiveness of 17 workforce development programs aiming to retain rural primary care physicians. Discusses the lack of systematically collected retention data and the impact on effective evaluation of these programs.
Author(s): Kelley Arredondo, Katherine Bay, Laura Witte, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2026
Date: 01/2026
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Doula Services for Medicaid Beneficiaries in Virginia: Access, Utilization, and Policy Lessons
Discusses barriers and facilitators of access to doula care for Medicaid beneficiaries in Virginia after evaluation of a collection of both qualitative and quantitative data gathered between January 2022 and January 2025. Discusses geographic disparities including concerns for access in rural areas and policies to address access.
Author(s): Desirae Leaphart Mensah, Alison E. Cuellar
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(1)
Date: 01/2026
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Discusses barriers and facilitators of access to doula care for Medicaid beneficiaries in Virginia after evaluation of a collection of both qualitative and quantitative data gathered between January 2022 and January 2025. Discusses geographic disparities including concerns for access in rural areas and policies to address access.
Author(s): Desirae Leaphart Mensah, Alison E. Cuellar
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(1)
Date: 01/2026
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Examining Rural Community Pharmacists' Knowledge and Practices in Opioid Overdose Prevention and Treatment Services in the Southeastern United States
Highlights a study on the knowledge and practices of rural pharmacists around opioid use disorder-related education and counseling in the Southeastern U.S. Presents data by pharmacist demographic characteristics, knowledge, and experience with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Author(s): Stefanie P. Ferreri, Paige Q. Ngo, Kaileigh D. Yen, Kevin Wang, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23(11)
Date: 01/2026
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Highlights a study on the knowledge and practices of rural pharmacists around opioid use disorder-related education and counseling in the Southeastern U.S. Presents data by pharmacist demographic characteristics, knowledge, and experience with medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).
Author(s): Stefanie P. Ferreri, Paige Q. Ngo, Kaileigh D. Yen, Kevin Wang, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23(11)
Date: 01/2026
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"The Crux of the Community": A Qualitative Focus Group Study of the Impact of Community Pharmacy Closures in Colorado and Utah
Discusses themes identified in focus groups of pharmacy workforce that had experienced a community pharmacy closure in Colorado or Utah. Themes discussed include community impacts, pharmacy operations, job experience, and patient impact. Highlights rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Michael J. DiStefano, Nai-Chia Chen, Carl V. Asche, Kelly E. Anderson, T. Joseph Mattingly, II
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1)
Date: 01/2026
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Discusses themes identified in focus groups of pharmacy workforce that had experienced a community pharmacy closure in Colorado or Utah. Themes discussed include community impacts, pharmacy operations, job experience, and patient impact. Highlights rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Michael J. DiStefano, Nai-Chia Chen, Carl V. Asche, Kelly E. Anderson, T. Joseph Mattingly, II
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1)
Date: 01/2026
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January 2026 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2026 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as mandated reports on changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) January 2026 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for physician and other health professional services, hospital inpatient and outpatient services, skilled nursing facility services, home health agency services, inpatient rehabilitation facility services, outpatient dialysis services, and hospice services. Discusses status reports on Medicare Part D, ambulatory surgical centers, and the Medicare Advantage program, as well as mandated reports on changes to the home health prospective payment system and dual-eligible special needs plans. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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State of Nursing Education In Kansas
Examines the demand for nursing professionals, the state of nursing education, and nursing education pathways in Kansas. Provides demographic data on nursing students as well as location of nursing education programs by city and county.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, University of Kansas Medical Center
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Examines the demand for nursing professionals, the state of nursing education, and nursing education pathways in Kansas. Provides demographic data on nursing students as well as location of nursing education programs by city and county.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, University of Kansas Medical Center
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Tennessee Uninsured Adult Healthcare Safety Net: 2025 Annual Report
Reports on Tennessee's uninsured population, state safety net funding, and services provided in 2025. Lists safety net service locations, including community and faith-based clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, dental clinics, and more. Provides county-by-county data on primary, oral, and specialty care population-to-provider ratios, and includes county-level maps of Health Resource Shortage Areas. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Reports on Tennessee's uninsured population, state safety net funding, and services provided in 2025. Lists safety net service locations, including community and faith-based clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, dental clinics, and more. Provides county-by-county data on primary, oral, and specialty care population-to-provider ratios, and includes county-level maps of Health Resource Shortage Areas. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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South Dakota Rural Obstetrical Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in South Dakota in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in South Dakota in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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South Dakota Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in South Dakota in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in South Dakota in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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