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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health workforce

Why Are Obstetric Units in Rural Hospitals Closing Their Doors?
Examines factors associated with obstetric unit closure based on a mixed methods study of rural hospitals in 9 states between 2010 and 2014. Addresses hospital characteristics such as accreditation, ownership, and Critical Access Hospital status; distance to next closest hospital with obstetric services; and county-level characteristics including health workforce supply.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Katy B. Kozhimannil, Michelle M. Casey, Ira S. Moscovice
Citation: Health Services Research, 51(4), 1546-1560
Date: 08/2016
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Community Health Center Provider Ability to Identify, Treat and Account for the Social Determinants of Health: A Card Study
Evaluates the ability of healthcare providers to identify, treat, and code for the social determinants of health at three community health center (CHC) organizations, one in rural California and two in urban New York and Illinois. Includes data describing the CHCs and patient demographics.
Author(s): Joy H. Lewis, Kate Whelihan, Isaac Navarro, Kimberly R. Boyle
Citation: BMC Family Practice, 17(1), 121
Date: 08/2016
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A Work in Progress: Building Wisconsin's Future Physician Workforce
Provides updates to the previous 2011 report, 100 New Physicians a Year: An Imperative for Wisconsin, which focused on the need for recruitment and retention of physicians. Provides projections for future workforce needs. Includes workforce data and statistics by county. See WCMEW's 2018 Report for a forecast of primary care physicians and interviews with Wisconsin workforce partners.
Date: 08/2016
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce
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Project ECHO's Complex Care Initiative: Building Capacity to Help "Superutilizers" in Underserved Communities
Describes a case study from the University of New Mexico's Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) program, which uses telehealth to support primary care clinicians in underserved areas. Focuses on a project targeting Medicaid beneficiaries with substance abuse and mental health issues, with details on two primary care teams being supported, including one in a rural New Mexico community.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein, Douglas McCarthy
Date: 08/2016
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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The Texas Mental Health Workforce: Continuing Challenges and Sensible Strategies
Policy brief featuring a report on the mental healthcare workforce in Texas, including a comparison of rural and urban counties. Discusses barriers to workforce expansion and strategies for drawing more mental health providers to the state.
Date: 07/2016
Sponsoring organization: Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
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The Graduate Medical Education System and Physician Supply in Texas
Reports on the number of primary care and specialty physicians in Texas. Identifies the medical specialties at critical shortage levels and the rural and urban locations of physician specialists. Looks at the overall supply of physicians in the state, the relevancy of the graduate medical education (GME) system, and the ability of the GME system to meet the current and future healthcare needs in Texas.
Additional links: Addendum to the Graduate Medical Education System and Physician Supply in Texas
Date: 07/2016
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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APNP Hospitalists: Sustainability of Rural Hospitals
Video of a meeting at Rusk County Memorial Hospital in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Includes discussion on how Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber Hospitalists can help to sustain rural hospitals as a solution to workforce challenges. Hosted by Charisse Oland, CEO, Rusk County Memorial Hospital. Length: 3:41:21
Date: 07/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative
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Working in Rural Health
A video describing the benefits of working as a healthcare provider in a rural location, including testimonials from providers working in rural Washington. Length: 4:25
Date: 07/2016
Sponsoring organization: Washington State Department of Health
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An Interview with David Schmitz
The co-creator of the Community Apgar Program and program director of Rural Training Tracks (RTTs) at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho shares his insights about rural physician training and recruitment of rural healthcare providers.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Arizona Health Workforce Demand in a Rapidly Changing Market: Perspectives of State Leaders
Reports on interviews with Arizona healthcare leaders regarding changes in healthcare delivery and the impact on the state's health workforce demand. Discusses rural challenges throughout and offers recommendations for addressing them, including reimbursement for telemedicine, clinical supervision of behavioral health trainees in rural practices, and rural training and grow-your-own programs. Highlights education gaps for new graduates.
Author(s): Lisel Blash, Joanne Spetz
Date: 06/2016
Sponsoring organization: Vitalyst Health Foundation
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