Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce
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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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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2010-2022 County-Level Hospital-Based Obstetric Care Status
County-level dataset containing the county Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, state, and indicator of whether each county had hospital-based obstetrics care in years 2010-2022. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): J.D. Interrante, E.C. Sheffield, K.B. Kozhimannil
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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County-level dataset containing the county Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, state, and indicator of whether each county had hospital-based obstetrics care in years 2010-2022. Available for download as an XLS file.
Author(s): J.D. Interrante, E.C. Sheffield, K.B. Kozhimannil
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Health Professional Shortage Areas: Mental Health
Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan mental health HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan mental health HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan mental health HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan mental health HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Health Professional Shortage Areas: Dental Care
Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan dental care HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan dental care HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan dental care HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan dental care HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Health Professional Shortage Areas: Primary Care
Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan primary care HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan primary care HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan primary care HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan primary care HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Beneficiary and Clinician Perspectives on Medicare and Other Issues: Findings from 2025 Focus Groups in St. Louis, Missouri, and 2021–2025 Rural Focus Groups
Summarizes findings from 8 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between April and May 2025, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 13 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2025. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from 8 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between April and May 2025, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 13 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2025. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, organization of care, and prescription drugs.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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National Health Center Financial and Operational Performance Analysis: 2020–2023
Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2020-2023. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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Examines financial and operational characteristics of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) from 2020-2023. Explores FQHC growth and expansion, patient and payer mix, revenue and growth mix, staffing and productivity, operational trends, financial performance, and more. Compares data on rural FQHCs to urban and national FQHC data. Requires name, email address, and organization information to download.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Capital Link
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State-level Interstate Medical Licensure Policies for Telehealth From 2018-2022: Assessing Changes Before and After the Onset of the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency
Describes the changes in state telehealth-related policies pertaining to physician medical licensure for the provision of out-of-state telehealth services that occurred between 2018 and 2022. Discusses the Interstate Medical License Compact (IMLC) and states' participation over time.
Author(s): Priyanka Vakkalanka, Tracy Young, Knute D. Carter, et al.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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Describes the changes in state telehealth-related policies pertaining to physician medical licensure for the provision of out-of-state telehealth services that occurred between 2018 and 2022. Discusses the Interstate Medical License Compact (IMLC) and states' participation over time.
Author(s): Priyanka Vakkalanka, Tracy Young, Knute D. Carter, et al.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2025
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Health Care Vacancies and Turnover in Kansas
Provides data and trends of the Kansas healthcare workforce, including information on vacancies and turnover, data on nursing supply, hospital financial trends, projected job openings, and primary care physician Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) by county.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Hospital Association
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Provides data and trends of the Kansas healthcare workforce, including information on vacancies and turnover, data on nursing supply, hospital financial trends, projected job openings, and primary care physician Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) by county.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Hospital Association
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