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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce

Meeting the Needs of Older Adults Living in Rural Communities: The Roles of Area Agencies on Aging
Presents results from the 2019 National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging. Describes the role of Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in serving older adults in rural communities. Compares the organizational structure, services and programs offered, budget, and workforce of rural and non-rural AAAs.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: USAging
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Tackling America's Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Through Primary Care Integration
Explores how primary and behavioral healthcare integration can overcome the unmet needs for mental health and substance use services. Discusses barriers to integrated care delivery. Offers policy recommendations to improve the integration of primary and behavioral healthcare services through enhanced payments, training, and technical assistance, and improving access to behavioral health providers for consultation and referral.
Additional links: Infographic
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Student Loan Programs Authorized by the Public Health Service Act: An Overview
Provides an overview of student loan programs for health profession students authorized by the Public Health Service Act and administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Describes borrower eligibility requirements, loan terms and conditions, and administrative rules. Includes a table comparing the programs by borrower type, repayment terms, the number of participating schools, and the number and financial amount of outstanding loans.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis
Documentation of a March 23, 2021, House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing on maternal health disparities. Discusses causes and possible policy options to reduce these disparities.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2021
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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"All Hands On Deck": The COVID-19 Pandemic Through Nurses' Eyes
Podcast recording featuring Mary Wakefield describes the role of nurses and the challenges they have faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses shortages of personal protective equipment, workforce challenges, vaccine administration, and solutions to support nurses in the future. Highlights the experiences of nurses at rural hospitals and clinics.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Innovations and Workforce Challenges for CAHs during COVID-19
Presents results from a survey of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) on hospital operation and workforce adaptations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses innovative practices adopted by CAHs related to hospital processes and clinical care. Describes how CAHs overcame workforce challenges during COVID-19.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Keelia Silvis, Ira Moscovice
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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The Distribution of the General Surgery Workforce in Rural and Urban America in 2019
Explores regional, rural-urban, and intra-rural differences in the supply of general surgeons, using 2019 data. Compares the 2019 findings to results of a similar analysis using 2001 data. Intended to give policymakers, workforce analysts, and medical educators an up-to-date picture of current and long-term trends in supply and distribution of the rural and urban general surgeon workforce. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, rural, large rural, and small rural locations.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, John Kearney, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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North Dakota Nursing Facility Vacancy Rates
Highlights the vacancy rates of nurses in facilities across North Dakota. Presents statewide vacancy rates and compares rates in rural and urban areas.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
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Primary Care in the United States: A Chartbook of Facts and Statistics
Examines aspects of primary care in the United States, including facts and figures on patient contact with primary care, frequency and range of conditions seen in primary care, care coordination, scope of practice, payment models, and preventive care visit utilization. Features statistics on percentage of primary care physicians by geography, with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural location.
Author(s): Brian Antono, Andrew Bazemore, Irene Dankwa-Mullan, et al.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Robert Graham Center
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