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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health occupations

Examining Substance Use Disorder Treatment Demand and Provider Capacity in a Changing Health Care System: Final Report
Assesses demand and capacity for substance use disorder treatment, with comparisons between years 2013 and 2016. Features statistics including numbers of clients, staff hours, percentage of facilities offering pharmacotherapies and accepting various insurance types, and distribution of specialty treatments, with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Ellen Bouchery
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Strategic Plan: Oral Health in Kentucky
Outlines the strategic plan for the Kentucky Oral Health Program. Includes county-level maps showing the distribution of general dentists and dentists who accept Medicaid, and discussion on how to reduce oral health disparities among rural and underserved populations. Covers policy initiatives to support oral healthcare and providers in rural areas.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Public Health, Division of Maternal and Child Health
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Evaluation of a Potential New Health Sciences School at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke to Meet the Needs of the Region and State
Results of a study exploring the feasibility of establishing a School of Health Sciences and Health Care in Robeson County, a rural high-poverty area ranked among the worst for health outcomes in North Carolina in 2016. Features statistics on the North Carolina workforce and education programs in optometry, occupational therapy, nutrition and dietetics, as well as physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
Author(s): Julie C. Spero, Thomas J. Bacon, Evan M. Galloway, et al.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Physician Supervision Requirements in Critical Access Hospitals and Small Rural Hospitals
Provides background information on Medicare physician supervision requirements, and examines how enforcement of these requirements impacts access to care, quality of care, and staffing needs in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and small rural hospitals. Findings are based on interviews with CMS officials, hospital association representatives, and CAH administrators in several states.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Examination of Community Health Workers in Rural Pennsylvania
Assesses the extent to which Community Health Workers (CHWs) are used in rural Pennsylvania to address the healthcare needs of underserved people. Includes statistics on CHW salaries, caseloads, hours of paid work, health outcomes, demographic characteristics, and training and certification.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Darlene Ardary, Jennifer DellAntonio, Joyce Du Gan, et al.
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Behavioral Health
Summarizes key findings from the Rural Health Research Centers' most recent rural behavioral health projects. Discusses mental illness prevalence in rural areas, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among rural children, access to behavioral health services in rural communities, and rural behavioral health interventions. Provides links to each of the referenced source documents.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Assessing the Impact of Washington State's Oral Health Workforce on Patient Access to Care
Examines the oral health workforce and access to oral care in Washington state. Includes information on workforce demographics, rural and urban distribution of oral health providers, and difficulty recruiting dental hygienists and assistants in rural areas. Provides recommendations, policy changes, and potential solutions offered by oral health workforce interviewees.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Davis G. Patterson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Malaika R. Schwartz, Lisa Hager, Susan M. Skillman
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Psychiatry Distribution in Georgia as of 2015
Reports on the characteristics of psychiatrists in Georgia for the year 2015, including supply, distribution, and demographics. Provides data on psychiatrists practicing in metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan areas, and includes a map showing counties without psychiatrists.
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce
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Newly Licensed RN Retention: Hospital and Nurse Characteristics
Study of retention rates for newly licensed RNs (NLRNs) within 1 year of hire in Illinois, North Carolina, and Ohio. Analyzes retention data based on hospital characteristics including rural and urban location, hospital size, type of ownership, Magnet status, and university affiliation. Discusses implications of characteristics data and NLRN retention trends.
Author(s): Mary A. Blegen, Nancy Spector, Mary R. Lynn, Jane Barnsteiner, Beth T. Ulrich
Citation: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(10), 508-514
Date: 10/2017
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Trends in Primary Care Provision to Medicare Beneficiaries by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants: 2008-2014
Examines trends in elderly patients receiving primary care from physicians alone, physicians with nurse practitioners (NPs) and/or physician assistants (PAs), and NPs/PAs without physicians. Considered these models for delivering primary care to Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions and Medicare patients in rural and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
Author(s): Ying Xue, James S. Goodwin, Deepak Adhikari, Mukaila A. Raji, Yong-Fang Kuo
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 8(4), 256-263
Date: 10/2017
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