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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health occupations

Improving Access to Care in Underserved Rural Communities: Eighteenth Annual Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress
Offers policy and program development recommendations to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Congress regarding primary care training and education. Recommendations aim to advance health equity through enhanced support of primary care workforce training to address health barriers in rural and other underserved communities. Covers longitudinal clinical training in rural primary care, integrating oral and behavioral health in primary care, enhancing telehealth capacity, and supporting interprofessional team-based education and practice in maternal-infant care.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry
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Scaling a Community-Wide Campaign Intervention to Manage Hypertension and Weight Loss
Analysis of a public health intervention addressing hypertension and obesity among low-income Latino populations in the U.S.-Mexico border region in Texas. Discusses the impacts of the intervention in 10 cities and large metro areas, 2 small towns, and 6 rural areas and examines data using the RE-AIM Framework.
Author(s): Belinda M. Reininger, Lisa A. Mitchell-Bennett, MinJae Lee, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Medicine, 8, 661353
Date: 11/2021
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The COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Rural Hospital Staffing
Summarizes the results of a survey of rural hospital leaders between September 21, 2021 - October 15, 2021, regarding COVID-19 vaccination among rural hospital personnel. Discusses the prevalence of vaccine mandates at rural hospitals and the impact of staffing shortages on access to care.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: The Chartis Group
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MACPAC Response to Senate Finance Committee Request for Information on Behavioral Health
Summarizes the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission's (MACPAC) ongoing analysis of behavioral health in Medicaid and CHIP and offers policy recommendations. Discusses the behavioral health workforce; behavioral healthcare service delivery and access; mental health parity; telehealth; and improving access for children and youth. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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It Takes a Village: Rural Recruitment and Retention
Provides an overview of the challenges of recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals in rural areas. Features healthcare facilities in North Dakota and Kansas, describing how they work with their communities to attract healthcare providers.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Oregon Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas
Shows a county-level map of Oregon identifying Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
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Recruitment and Retention Issues for Counselors in Rural Pennsylvania Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs
Results of a study of Pennsylvania substance use disorder (SUD) counselors and directors of treatment programs and clinics, to assess the characteristics of treatment counselors in rural Pennsylvania counties and how those characteristics relate to recruitment and retention issues. Also examines how well higher education institutions in rural counties prepare those entering the profession, and analyzes the effectiveness of state-level incentives, like the student loan repayment program, to attract potential SUD counselors. Features statistics on counselors' characteristics and duties, and client characteristics.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Jennifer Murphy
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Rural Nevada EMS Capacity Assessment
Presents results of a 2020 survey of 36 rural EMS agencies, addressing transporting patients, funding and billing, workforce and recruitment issues, health information technology, and more.
Author(s): Laima Etchegoyhen, John Packham, Tabor Griswold, Jeannine Warner
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Health Workforce Research Center
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Mapping the Location of Health Centers in Relation to "Maternity Care Deserts": Associations With Utilization of Women's Health Providers and Services
Explores the association between community health centers' (CHC) distance to a maternity care desert (MCD) and use of maternity-related healthcare services. Discusses the effects of rural hospital closures and provider shortages on patients' access to maternity care. Includes a county-level MCD map and county-level and CHC-level statistics related to MCDs.
Author(s): Anne R. Markus, Drishti Pillai
Citation: Medical Care, 59(10), S434-S440
Date: 10/2021
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The Effect of National Health Service Corps Clinician Staffing on Medical and Behavioral Health Care Costs in Community Health Centers
Examines the contribution of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and non-NHSC clinicians to medical and behavioral health costs per visit, using 2013-2017 data from 1,022 Federally Qualified Health Centers merged with the NHSC participant data. Features statistics on average costs per visit for medical or behavioral healthcare, with breakdowns including rural facility location.
Author(s): Xinxin Han, Patricia Pittman, Leighton Ku
Citation: Medical Care, 59(10), S428-S433
Date: 10/2021
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