Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand
Building on the 2025 National Academies Pharmacy Workshop: Pharmacy Deserts in the United States
Describes pharmacy access in the United States, including discussions of "pharmacy desert" definitions by rurality, drivers of recent pharmacy desert trends, and the impact of pharmacy deserts on health outcomes. Highlights potential policy strategies for addressing pharmacy deserts with focus on the pharmacy workforce, reimbursement and payment models, new technologies, and service delivery models.
Author(s): Lucas A. Berenbrok, Delesha Carpenter, Teresa M. Salgado, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10)
Date: 10/2026
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Describes pharmacy access in the United States, including discussions of "pharmacy desert" definitions by rurality, drivers of recent pharmacy desert trends, and the impact of pharmacy deserts on health outcomes. Highlights potential policy strategies for addressing pharmacy deserts with focus on the pharmacy workforce, reimbursement and payment models, new technologies, and service delivery models.
Author(s): Lucas A. Berenbrok, Delesha Carpenter, Teresa M. Salgado, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10)
Date: 10/2026
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Dashboard: Arkansas Dentist Workforce
Dashboard providing data on the demographics and geographic distribution of dentists in Arkansas. Includes rural-urban comparisons and county-level data.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Dashboard providing data on the demographics and geographic distribution of dentists in Arkansas. Includes rural-urban comparisons and county-level data.
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Survey of the Availability of Neurology Services on Hawaiʻi Island
Examines access to neurology services via a survey of 28 primary care physicians on Hawaii Island, covering topics including the prevalence of neurological complaints or diagnoses among patients, the ability of physicians to manage or refer patients for neurological conditions, and more. Discusses access challenges related to Hawaii's rurality throughout.
Author(s): Jan Augustine E. Aurelio, J. Douglas Miles
Citation: Hawaii Journal of Health and Social Welfare, 85(10), 299-306
Date: 10/2026
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Examines access to neurology services via a survey of 28 primary care physicians on Hawaii Island, covering topics including the prevalence of neurological complaints or diagnoses among patients, the ability of physicians to manage or refer patients for neurological conditions, and more. Discusses access challenges related to Hawaii's rurality throughout.
Author(s): Jan Augustine E. Aurelio, J. Douglas Miles
Citation: Hawaii Journal of Health and Social Welfare, 85(10), 299-306
Date: 10/2026
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Rural and Urban Differences in the Trends in Supply of Home Care Workers From 2015 to 2024
Examines how the supply of direct care workers varies by rural or urban location using 2015-2024 American Community Survey data. Includes data comparisons by pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods.
Author(s): Diogo Miguel Goncalves Fortes, Katherine Miller
Citation: Journal of Applied Gerontology
Date: 10/2026
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Examines how the supply of direct care workers varies by rural or urban location using 2015-2024 American Community Survey data. Includes data comparisons by pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods.
Author(s): Diogo Miguel Goncalves Fortes, Katherine Miller
Citation: Journal of Applied Gerontology
Date: 10/2026
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Physician Transitions out of Clinical Practice: Age, Sex, Generational, and Specialty Effects
Analyzes licensure data to identify demographic, specialty, and geographic associations with retirement or temporary exit from clinical practice among 74,271 North Carolina physicians between 2005 and 2024.
Author(s): Erin Fraher
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10)
Date: 09/2026
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Analyzes licensure data to identify demographic, specialty, and geographic associations with retirement or temporary exit from clinical practice among 74,271 North Carolina physicians between 2005 and 2024.
Author(s): Erin Fraher
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(10)
Date: 09/2026
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Wisconsin State Opioid Response 4 Year Two: Statewide Annual Report
Provides information on the State Opioid Response 4 (SOR-4) grant awarded in 2024 and focused on expanding access to treatment and recovery services for opioid and stimulant use disorder in Wisconsin, supporting training of peer support services, increasing the number of providers offering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and raising awareness related to OUD. Utilizes data from clients who completed the State Opioid Response 4 (SOR-4) GPRA Client Outcome Measures tool from 2025 to 2026 and reports on treatment needs, recovery, telehealth, and recovery housing. Compares client experiences in rural versus urban counties.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
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Provides information on the State Opioid Response 4 (SOR-4) grant awarded in 2024 and focused on expanding access to treatment and recovery services for opioid and stimulant use disorder in Wisconsin, supporting training of peer support services, increasing the number of providers offering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and raising awareness related to OUD. Utilizes data from clients who completed the State Opioid Response 4 (SOR-4) GPRA Client Outcome Measures tool from 2025 to 2026 and reports on treatment needs, recovery, telehealth, and recovery housing. Compares client experiences in rural versus urban counties.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
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Growing the Rural Physician Workforce Through Graduate Medical Education
Describes ways in which state and federal initiatives are working to expand rural medical training in North Carolina. Features statistics on physician residency programs with rural and community health center sites from 2008-2024.
Author(s): Emily M. Hawes, Mukesh Adhikari, Mark Holmes, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 87(3)
Date: 09/2026
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Describes ways in which state and federal initiatives are working to expand rural medical training in North Carolina. Features statistics on physician residency programs with rural and community health center sites from 2008-2024.
Author(s): Emily M. Hawes, Mukesh Adhikari, Mark Holmes, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 87(3)
Date: 09/2026
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Sociodemographic Characteristics of Nurses Entering and Leaving the US Nursing Workforce in 2018 and 2022
Describes the characteristics and job dynamics of the nursing workforce before and after the pandemic, including nurses entering and leaving the workforce. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural area for the 2022 data set.
Author(s): Kyla F. Woodward, Sue Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9), qxag248
Date: 09/2026
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Describes the characteristics and job dynamics of the nursing workforce before and after the pandemic, including nurses entering and leaving the workforce. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural area for the 2022 data set.
Author(s): Kyla F. Woodward, Sue Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(9), qxag248
Date: 09/2026
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Scope of Practice Laws Affecting Team-Based Heart Disease Care in Rural America: Policy Challenges and Opportunities
Evaluates how scope of practice laws influence team-based heart disease care and reimbursement via legal analysis of a variety of health professions and service categories across 11 states and 2 federal healthcare systems, and highlights health policy opportunities to strengthen team-based care. Discusses how team-based care can address rural workforce shortages and improve access to care.
Author(s): Jeff Lane, Signe Burchim, Amanda Li, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 15(9), e049493
Date: 09/2026
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Evaluates how scope of practice laws influence team-based heart disease care and reimbursement via legal analysis of a variety of health professions and service categories across 11 states and 2 federal healthcare systems, and highlights health policy opportunities to strengthen team-based care. Discusses how team-based care can address rural workforce shortages and improve access to care.
Author(s): Jeff Lane, Signe Burchim, Amanda Li, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 15(9), e049493
Date: 09/2026
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Comparing Physicians' Perceptions of Access to Behavioral Health Resources in Rural and Urban Practices
Explores the differences in the perceptions of rural and urban physicians about access to behavioral health resources for their patients. Draws conclusions from findings of the 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians by rural versus urban ZIP codes. Breaks down data by specialty, years of practice, and average time spent in different care locations, among other measures.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Natalia V. Oster, Xiaochu Hu, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70226
Date: 09/2026
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Explores the differences in the perceptions of rural and urban physicians about access to behavioral health resources for their patients. Draws conclusions from findings of the 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians by rural versus urban ZIP codes. Breaks down data by specialty, years of practice, and average time spent in different care locations, among other measures.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Natalia V. Oster, Xiaochu Hu, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(4), e70226
Date: 09/2026
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