Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce education and training
Affordability of Health Professional Education: Proceedings of a Workshop Series—In Brief
Summarizes presentations and discussions from the National Academies Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, convened in early 2025 to explore financial barriers, assess workforce effects, and consider ways to improve the value and accessibility of health professional education. Discusses primary care workforce shortages and lack of training opportunities in rural areas.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Summarizes presentations and discussions from the National Academies Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, convened in early 2025 to explore financial barriers, assess workforce effects, and consider ways to improve the value and accessibility of health professional education. Discusses primary care workforce shortages and lack of training opportunities in rural areas.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Investing in Primary Care: The Nurse Practitioner Will See You Now
Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Describes opportunities to support advancement of preparation and growth for nurse practitioners (NPs) to meet the population's primary care needs. Explores the importance of NPs in rural and underserved communities, and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Author(s): Jessica McCann, Margaret Flinter
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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The Latest Trends in Health Workforce Legislation
Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Using Propensity-Score Matched Cohorts to Evaluate Career Outcomes for Medical Students Completing the Underserved Pathway
Results of a study comparing career outcomes of medical students who completed the Underserved Pathway (UP) at the University of Washington School of Medicine to a cohort of peers who did not complete the UP. Examines whether UP participants were more likely to practice in rural communities and/or primary care than their peers. Features demographics and statistics on factors associated with rural family medicine and rural primary care practices.
Author(s): Genya Shimkin, Kimberly Kardonsky, Alisse Cassell, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 57(9), 627-633
Date: 10/2025
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Results of a study comparing career outcomes of medical students who completed the Underserved Pathway (UP) at the University of Washington School of Medicine to a cohort of peers who did not complete the UP. Examines whether UP participants were more likely to practice in rural communities and/or primary care than their peers. Features demographics and statistics on factors associated with rural family medicine and rural primary care practices.
Author(s): Genya Shimkin, Kimberly Kardonsky, Alisse Cassell, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 57(9), 627-633
Date: 10/2025
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University of Rhode Island: Independent Feasibility Study into a Medical School at the University of Rhode Island
Assesses the feasibility of establishing a public medical school at the University of Rhode Island with the goal of addressing current and projected physician shortages in the state. Includes 4 recommendations addressing statewide integration, sustainable funding, and recruiting local students. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tripp Umbach
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Assesses the feasibility of establishing a public medical school at the University of Rhode Island with the goal of addressing current and projected physician shortages in the state. Includes 4 recommendations addressing statewide integration, sustainable funding, and recruiting local students. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tripp Umbach
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Building a Sustainable Oral Health Workforce in Pennsylvania: Strategies for Reinvigorating Dental Careers and Strengthening the Pipeline
Features recommendations to guide efforts to build a strong and sustainable dental workforce pipeline for Pennsylvania, by increasing supply of providers and improving retention rates. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Features recommendations to guide efforts to build a strong and sustainable dental workforce pipeline for Pennsylvania, by increasing supply of providers and improving retention rates. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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State Youth Peer Support Policy Toolkit
Toolkit presents resources and guidance for developing and supporting state-level policy for peer support to address youth mental health needs. Highlights models, funding mechanisms, and training, among other aspects integral to youth peer support programs.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
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Toolkit presents resources and guidance for developing and supporting state-level policy for peer support to address youth mental health needs. Highlights models, funding mechanisms, and training, among other aspects integral to youth peer support programs.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
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Supporting Older-Adult Behavioral Health: Building the First State Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health and Aging
Describes the establishment of the Oregon Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health and Aging which seeks to increase access to behavioral health services for older adults with mental illness and substance use disorders in Oregon through translational research, workforce development, and policy innovation. Highlights national initiatives related to behavioral health and aging. Offers guidance to other states interested in a similar model. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Walter D. Dawson, Allyson Stodola, Paula Carder, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(9)
Date: 09/2025
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Describes the establishment of the Oregon Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health and Aging which seeks to increase access to behavioral health services for older adults with mental illness and substance use disorders in Oregon through translational research, workforce development, and policy innovation. Highlights national initiatives related to behavioral health and aging. Offers guidance to other states interested in a similar model. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Walter D. Dawson, Allyson Stodola, Paula Carder, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(9)
Date: 09/2025
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Description of a Collaborative Rural Dental Scholar Program
Discusses a series of initiatives to increase Alabama's rural dental workforce through a partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Describes the interventions designed to get rural students interested and participating in oral health training. Details a summer program for high school students, a pathway program for post-grads, and scholarships for participating students.
Author(s): Carly Timmons McKenzie, Paul Drake Lavender
Citation: Journal of Dental Education, 89(9), 1356-1361
Date: 09/2025
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Discusses a series of initiatives to increase Alabama's rural dental workforce through a partnership between The University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences. Describes the interventions designed to get rural students interested and participating in oral health training. Details a summer program for high school students, a pathway program for post-grads, and scholarships for participating students.
Author(s): Carly Timmons McKenzie, Paul Drake Lavender
Citation: Journal of Dental Education, 89(9), 1356-1361
Date: 09/2025
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"You Can't Do Anything by Yourself": Recruiting and Retaining Mental Health Professionals in Rural America
Discusses the challenges in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural areas, as well as strategies and approaches to address the need. Features a Michigan mental health center CEO and state behavioral health organizations in Nebraska and South Carolina. Also includes insights from 3RNET, which focuses nationally on rural health recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the challenges in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural areas, as well as strategies and approaches to address the need. Features a Michigan mental health center CEO and state behavioral health organizations in Nebraska and South Carolina. Also includes insights from 3RNET, which focuses nationally on rural health recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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