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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health occupations

Disappearing Doctors: The Reshaping of Rural Healthcare and Its Impact on Rural Physician Recruitment
Blog post examining the shift in the number of independent physicians and practices in rural areas, and the decline in overall number of physicians practicing in these areas. Describes the rise in corporate and hospital employment and offers suggestions for recruitment strategies.
Author(s): Helen Falkner
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Jackson Physician Search
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The Geographic Distribution of Family Physicians Providing Maternity Care and Opportunities for Expanding Access to Care in Rural Areas
Examines family physicians (FPs) who provide maternity care and their geographic distribution in the United States. Analyzes maternity care across 325 counties, observing counties where FPs are the only maternity care providers, counties where there are no maternity care providers, and counties with or without hospital obstetric services. Includes discussion on maternity healthcare access disparities in rural areas.
Author(s): Michael Topmiller, Grace Walter, Anuradha Jetty, et al.
Citation: The Annals of Family Medicine, 23(4), 302-307
Date: 07/2025
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Illinois Rural Primary Care Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Georgia 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: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Illinois Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Illinois 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: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Illinois Rural Obstetrical Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Illinois 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: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Health Workforce in Nevada - 2025
Reports on the supply and geographic distribution of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers providing direct patient care services, and administrative and non-clinical healthcare workers in Nevada. Utilizes federal and state demographic, licensure, and health shortage data.
Author(s): John Packham, Angel Barboza, Simran Kaur, et al.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Office of Statewide Initiatives
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Pathways to Sustainability: A Road Map for Child Psychiatry Access Programs
Discusses the adolescent mental health crisis in Indiana with a focus on workforce shortages and access to mental health treatment. Provides county-level data on geographic distribution of Indiana's child psychiatry workforce as well as the Be Happy mental health program. Includes information on various workforce program models, their effectiveness and level of sustainability, and potential application in Indiana.
Author(s): Mykayla Moore, Madison Bott, Hannah Maxey
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Beyond Our Walls: Leveraging Pharmacies for STI Services and Care
Profiles NACCHO and CDC-funded partnerships between local health departments and pharmacies to expand sexually-transmitted infection (STI) services and access to care in their communities. See Appendix 2 for discussion of observations and implementation of HIV/STI programming in rural Chaffee County, Colorado.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Interstate Occupational Licensure Arrangements to Expand Access to Behavioral Health Services
Policy brief describing state-based provisions to expand behavioral health services through interstate licensure arrangements for providers. Discusses potential impact on provision of behavioral health services, including telehealth, with a focus on how expanded services might enhance access for rural residents. Features state-level maps showing where legislation has been enacted or introduced, as of November 2024.
Author(s): Natalia V. Oster, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Davis G. Patterson, Lisa A. Garberson, Janessa M. Graves
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Wyoming's Ground Emergency Medical Services - A Primer on Operations, Costs and Potential Revenue
Report describes Wyoming's emergency medical services (EMS) economic landscape and makes recommendations to improve long-term financial sustainability. Details EMS costs and revenue across the state by demographics and geography.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Wyoming Department of Health
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