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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce supply and demand

A National Study of the Practice Characteristics of Women in Dentistry and Potential Impacts on Access to Care for Underserved Communities
Results of a study to understand differences in dentist practice characteristics by sex, and to plan for changes in the workforce that could affect supply and demand of dental services in underserved areas. Features statistics including practice patterns by sex and year from 2010-2016 with breakdowns by practice location in rural area, small town, micropolitan, metropolitan, or large metropolitan area.
Author(s): Simona Surdu, Margaret Langelier, Yuhao Liu, Nubia Goodwin
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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How the Federal Government Supports State and Local Efforts to Improve Rural Health: A Q&A with Tom Morris
Provides a Q&A with Tom Morris, associate administrator of rural health policy at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Focuses on how government agencies are addressing rural hospital closures, population health, rural workforce development, and the opioid epidemic.
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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The Doctor is Out. Rising Student Loan Debt and the Decline of the Small Medical Practice
Provides a recording of a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business regarding health profession school debt and the impact on specialization and practice decisions, particularly the reduction of sole practices in rural areas, and methods for addressing these issues. Includes testimony from representatives of the American Physical Therapy Association, American Association of Orthodontics, American College of Physicians, and American Enterprise Institute.
Additional links: Lauren Wiese Testimony, Sandra Norby Testimony, Tracey L. Henry Testimony, Video Recording
Date: 06/2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House of Representatives
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Scratching the Surface of Psychiatric Services Distribution and Public Health: An Indiana Assessment
Discusses the shortage of psychiatric providers in rural Indiana using data from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Compares 2015 workforce data to population demographics and county-by-county data on behavioral and public health, including rates of hypertension, smoking, and substance abuse. Tables compare population characteristics to provider licensing data to illustrate psychiatry workforce challenges in rural counties.
Author(s): Steven Moberly, Hannah Maxey, Lacy Foy, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 46(2), 267-282
Date: 04/2019
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Isolated, Small, and Large Hospitals Have Fewer Nursing Resources than Urban Hospitals: Implications for Rural Health Policy
Describes the nurse work environment, nurse education, nursing skill mix, and patient-to-registered nurse (RN) ratios across hospitals in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Examines how the findings differ by urban, large, small, and isolated hospitals, and discusses the potential impact on patient outcomes.
Author(s): Jessica G. Smith, Colin M. Plover, Moira C. McChesney, Eileen T. Lake
Citation: Public Health Nursing, 36(4), 469-477
Date: 04/2019
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Geographic Variation in Spatial Accessibility of U.S. Healthcare Providers
Examines spatial accessibility and other factors of accessibility for key physician and non-physician groups, including primary care physicians, specialists, nurse practitioners, and chiropractors in rural and urban locations, using geospatial methods. Population data, Medicare claims, provider location, professional school location, and U.S. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) were used in the analyses.
Author(s): Keith B. Naylor, Joshua Tooto, Olga Yakusheva, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 14(4)
Date: 04/2019
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Data Report: 2018 Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensure Survey
Provides workforce demographics and practice characteristics as well as supply and distribution information from 13,031 behavioral therapists and counselors licensed in Indiana. Features statistics on professionals in various specialties, including breakdowns by number of providers delivering telemedicine services.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Substance Use Disorder Treatment Policy Recommendations for the State of Louisiana: Final Report - March 2019
Assessment to inform recommendations for the state of Louisiana on timely, comprehensive, evidence-based, and sustainable treatment for opioid use disorder. Includes 8 recommendations, and discusses challenges in rural areas, such as high overdose rates, provider shortages, and lack of access to buprenorphine.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Pew
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Behavioral and Mental Health Care Among Urban, Suburban, and Rural Respondents: Differences in Reported Need, Reasons for Not Getting Care, and Travel Time
Data snapshot featuring statistics on percentages of people needing behavioral or mental health care or having difficulty finding a provider, and reported length of travel time to a provider, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural location.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Association of American Medical Colleges
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2017 Vermont Dentists by Rational Service Areas: Population per FTE
County level map of dentists by population service area in the state of Vermont.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
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