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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Licensure and certification of health professionals

State Legislative Approach to Enumerating Behavioral Health Workforce Shortages: Lessons Learned in New Mexico
Describes the model developed in New Mexico (NM) as a result of the Health Care Work Force Data Collection, Analysis and Policy Act, initially enacted in 2011, to address behavioral health workforce shortages, particularly in rural areas, and the increased demand for services due to Medicaid expansion in the state. Highlights the purpose of the legislation, the development of a statewide workforce committee, policies implemented, lessons learned, and offers suggestions for other states considering legislation supporting behavioral health workforce initiatives.
Author(s): Deborah B. Altschul, Caroline A. Bonham, Martha J. Faulkner, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6S3), S220-S229
Date: 06/2018
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Dental Therapy in Minnesota
Reports on the dental therapist workforce in Minnesota offering information on education, certification, licensure, and practice. Discusses the financial viability of dental practices employing dental therapists and how dental therapists can increase access to oral care in rural areas.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Nursing Home Infection Control Program Characteristics, CMS Citations, and Implementation of Antibiotic Stewardship Policies: A National Study
Results of a study of 2,514 nursing homes to assess infection preventionist training and certification, staff turnover, and infection control program characteristics. Features statistics on facility characteristics, with breakdowns by locations in metro, large urban, small urban, or rural areas.
Author(s): Patricia W. Stone, Carolyn T.A. Herzig, Mansi Agarwal, Monika Pogorzelska-Maziarz, Andrew W. Dick
Citation: Inquiry, 55:1-7
Date: 05/2018
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Physician Assistants: Modernize Laws to Improve Rural Access
National Rural Health Association policy paper describing benefits to rural communities when practice barriers are removed and payments are sufficient to attract physician assistants to the area. Includes recommendations to help achieve this goal.
Author(s): Roger Wells, Megan Cody, Robert Alpino, Melissa Van Dyne, Ross Abbott, et al.
Date: 04/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Examination of Community Health Workers in Rural Pennsylvania
Assesses the extent to which Community Health Workers (CHWs) are used in rural Pennsylvania to address the healthcare needs of underserved people. Includes statistics on CHW salaries, caseloads, hours of paid work, health outcomes, demographic characteristics, and training and certification.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Darlene Ardary, Jennifer DellAntonio, Joyce Du Gan, et al.
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Barriers and Solutions to the Single Accreditation System: A Survey Study of AOA Family Medicine Residency Program Directors
Results of a survey designed to assess attitudes, confidence, and progress of American Osteopathic Association family medicine residencies during the transition to a Single Accreditation System (SAS). Discusses concerns about the effects of SAS on the primary care workforce in rural settings.
Author(s): Julie Petersen Marcinek, Megan Coffman, Zachary Levin, Winston Liaw, Andrew Bazemore
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Robert Graham Center
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Minnesota: Filling the Mental Health Pipeline
Discusses the mental health workforce in Minnesota including the educational pipeline, the licensed and unlicensed workforce, regional issues related to recruitment, and policy implications. Includes data about degrees completed, licenses gained after graduation, and population-to-provider ratios of the mental health workforce in Minnesota by rural or isolated, small town or small rural, micropolitan or large rural, and metropolitan.
Author(s): Alessia Leibert, Teri Fritsma
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
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Community Health Workers: Roles and Opportunities in Health Care Delivery System Reform
Identifies and discusses health services research on the utilization and integration of Community Health Workers (CHWs) into healthcare service delivery. Includes an analysis regarding the various CHW models, employment data, training and credentialing, and challenges associated with the development of this occupation.
Author(s): John E. Snyder
Date: 01/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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The Evolution, Expansion, and Effectiveness of Community Health Workers
Reviews the development of Community Health Worker roles, accomplishments, and future contributions in rural and urban settings. Discusses the education and training of CHWs, and includes a detailed table of their activities in promoting prevention and well-being.
Author(s): Randall R. Bovbjerg, Lauren Eyster, Barbara A. Ormond, Theresa Anderson, Elizabeth Richardson
Date: 12/2013
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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The Trend Toward the Clinical Doctorate in Allied Health: Implications for Rural Communities
Examines how the transition to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree has affected the supply and quality of rural physical therapy care.
Author(s): Janet K. Freburger, Jennifer King, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 08/2008
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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