Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand
Association Between Rural Attitudes in Family Medicine Residency and Rural Employment
Explores rural family medicine residents' attitudes at residency completion and how they are associated with subsequent rural employment. Based on data from a study conducted from 2021-2025 survey of residents in two Mountain Area Health Education Center programs.
Author(s): Bryan Hodge, Julianne M. Power, Gwyneth DeHart, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 58
Date: 09/2026
view details
Explores rural family medicine residents' attitudes at residency completion and how they are associated with subsequent rural employment. Based on data from a study conducted from 2021-2025 survey of residents in two Mountain Area Health Education Center programs.
Author(s): Bryan Hodge, Julianne M. Power, Gwyneth DeHart, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 58
Date: 09/2026
view details
Strengthening the Kansas Rural Physician Workforce: Outcomes of the Scholars in Rural Health Program
Evaluates outcomes of the University of Kansas School of Medicine's Scholars in Rural Health program to determine its effectiveness in increasing the rural physician workforce. The program recruits and supports college students from rural Kansas.
Author(s): Brian D. Steele, Jennifer Bacani McKenney
Citation: Family Medicine, 58(8), 564-570
Date: 09/2026
view details
Evaluates outcomes of the University of Kansas School of Medicine's Scholars in Rural Health program to determine its effectiveness in increasing the rural physician workforce. The program recruits and supports college students from rural Kansas.
Author(s): Brian D. Steele, Jennifer Bacani McKenney
Citation: Family Medicine, 58(8), 564-570
Date: 09/2026
view details
Monitoring the Workforce Outcomes of North Carolina Medical School Graduates: Retention In-State and in High Need Geographic Areas and Specialties
Summarizes workforce outcomes for physicians who graduate from North Carolina medical schools, including whether they practice in North Carolina, in rural areas, in high-need specialties, and in North Carolina safety net settings 5 years after graduation. Features statistics on 2020 North Carolina medical school graduates, with breakdowns by practice specialty and rural location.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Erin Fraher, Nathan Tarr, Hugh H. Tilson Jr.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Area Health Education Center Program, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Summarizes workforce outcomes for physicians who graduate from North Carolina medical schools, including whether they practice in North Carolina, in rural areas, in high-need specialties, and in North Carolina safety net settings 5 years after graduation. Features statistics on 2020 North Carolina medical school graduates, with breakdowns by practice specialty and rural location.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Erin Fraher, Nathan Tarr, Hugh H. Tilson Jr.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Area Health Education Center Program, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
view details
Washington's Health Workforce Sentinel Network Findings Brief: Rural Health Workforce, Spring 2026
Reports on rural health workforce challenges in Washington State using survey response data from healthcare employers. Highlights topics including workforce recruitment and retention, facility-level needs and challenges, workforce pathway and early-career education strategies, and AI use.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Health Workforce Sentinel Network, UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Reports on rural health workforce challenges in Washington State using survey response data from healthcare employers. Highlights topics including workforce recruitment and retention, facility-level needs and challenges, workforce pathway and early-career education strategies, and AI use.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organizations: The Health Workforce Sentinel Network, UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Analyzing Trends of Medicare-Participating Nurse Practitioners and Physician Associates in the United States From 2017 to 2025
Results of a study describing how the geographic distribution of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates (PAs) has changed. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and urban areas and state-level maps showing increases or decreases in the numbers of NPs and PAs from 2017 to 2025.
Author(s): Ryan J. Crowley, Jag S. Lally, David M. Kline, Amanda M. Bunting
Citation: Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 38(8), 617-625
Date: 08/2026
view details
Results of a study describing how the geographic distribution of nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician associates (PAs) has changed. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and urban areas and state-level maps showing increases or decreases in the numbers of NPs and PAs from 2017 to 2025.
Author(s): Ryan J. Crowley, Jag S. Lally, David M. Kline, Amanda M. Bunting
Citation: Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 38(8), 617-625
Date: 08/2026
view details
Mapping Rural–Urban Disparities in Otolaryngology Access: A Statewide Analysis of Georgia's ENT Workforce
Examines how the supply, distribution, and training characteristics of otolaryngologists in Georgia vary by rural or urban county using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Georgia Composite Medical Board, and American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery data. Includes data on rural and urban travel burden, subspecialty availability, and more.
Author(s): Shervin Eskandari, William E. Long, Benjamin Aderinwale, et al.
Citation: OTO Open, 10(3), e70286
Date: 08/2026
view details
Examines how the supply, distribution, and training characteristics of otolaryngologists in Georgia vary by rural or urban county using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Georgia Composite Medical Board, and American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery data. Includes data on rural and urban travel burden, subspecialty availability, and more.
Author(s): Shervin Eskandari, William E. Long, Benjamin Aderinwale, et al.
Citation: OTO Open, 10(3), e70286
Date: 08/2026
view details
Vermont 2024 Physician Census: Statistical Report
Presents detailed profiles of physicians who renewed their licenses as of late 2024 and were providing patient care in Vermont. Features demographics and county-level statistics including primary care physician to population ratios.
Additional links: Methodology Change to Physician Reporting, Summary
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
view details
Presents detailed profiles of physicians who renewed their licenses as of late 2024 and were providing patient care in Vermont. Features demographics and county-level statistics including primary care physician to population ratios.
Additional links: Methodology Change to Physician Reporting, Summary
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
view details
Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2026
Reports on maternal healthcare access and provides data on maternity care deserts, distribution of OB providers, and travel time to maternity care, including color-coded, county-level maps. Includes rural versus urban data comparisons of maternal health workforce availability, travel distance to care, and labor and delivery unit closures, and discusses efforts to address rural shortages, including the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
view details
Reports on maternal healthcare access and provides data on maternity care deserts, distribution of OB providers, and travel time to maternity care, including color-coded, county-level maps. Includes rural versus urban data comparisons of maternal health workforce availability, travel distance to care, and labor and delivery unit closures, and discusses efforts to address rural shortages, including the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
view details
Rural Background, Training Exposure, and Rural Practice Location Among US Physicians
Research letter exploring the interdependence between recruiting students from rural backgrounds and providing exposure to rural settings during undergraduate and graduate medical education training. Uses data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians.
Author(s): Xiaochu Hu, Davis G. Patterson, Sarah S. Conrad, Qian Luo, Michael J. Dill
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(8), e2625481
Date: 08/2026
view details
Research letter exploring the interdependence between recruiting students from rural backgrounds and providing exposure to rural settings during undergraduate and graduate medical education training. Uses data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians.
Author(s): Xiaochu Hu, Davis G. Patterson, Sarah S. Conrad, Qian Luo, Michael J. Dill
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(8), e2625481
Date: 08/2026
view details
Virginia's Licensed Clinical Psychologist Workforce: 2026
An overview of the licensed clinical psychologist (LCP) workforce in Virginia based on data from the 2026 Licensed Clinical Psychologist Workforce Survey. Features statistics including the number of LCPs in rural Virginia and how many grew up in rural areas.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health Professions
view details
An overview of the licensed clinical psychologist (LCP) workforce in Virginia based on data from the 2026 Licensed Clinical Psychologist Workforce Survey. Features statistics including the number of LCPs in rural Virginia and how many grew up in rural areas.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health Professions
view details