Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Transforming Rural Health Care Through Medicaid Innovation: Tip Sheet Series
Informational tip sheets discussing the use of Medicaid innovations to assist states in creating their Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program applications. Covers issues such as behavioral health, school-based services, integrated care access, community health workers, community paramedicine, specialty care, and healthcare technology. Provides examples, strategies, Medicaid policy information, and resources.
Additional links: Improving Access to Integrated Care for Dually Eligible Individuals in Rural Areas, Leveraging Community Health Workers to Address Rural Health Care Needs, Leveraging Community Paramedicine to Address Rural Health Needs, Leveraging Peers and Lay Counselors to Address Behavioral Health Care Workforce Shortages in Rural Areas, Using Project ECHO to Deliver Specialty Care in Rural Areas, Using School-Based Services to Improve Access to Preventive Health Care for Children in Rural Areas, Using Tech-Enabled Solutions to Improve Care Quality and Access in Rural Areas
Author(s): Molly Knowles, Nancy Archibald, Karla Silverman, Lauren Scannelli Jacobs
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Using Propensity-Score Matched Cohorts to Evaluate Career Outcomes for Medical Students Completing the Underserved Pathway
Results of a study comparing career outcomes of medical students who completed the Underserved Pathway (UP) at the University of Washington School of Medicine to a cohort of peers who did not complete the UP. Examines whether UP participants were more likely to practice in rural communities and/or primary care than their peers. Features demographics and statistics on factors associated with rural family medicine and rural primary care practices.
Author(s): Genya Shimkin, Kimberly Kardonsky, Alisse Cassell, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 57(9), 627-633
Date: 10/2025
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Health Professional Shortage Areas: Primary Care
Printable map that shows nonmetropolitan and micropolitan primary care HPSAs on one color scale and metropolitan primary care HPSAs on another. Data source: data.HRSA.gov
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Beyond the Clinic Walls: Exploring the Potential of Mobile Health
Explores the use mobile health services to increase access to care and highlights opportunities to close evidence gaps. Summarizes the research on mobile health delivery in primary, specialty, and emergency care. Discusses rural concerns including for breast cancer screening, dentistry, acute stroke response, behavioral crisis interventions, and community paramedicine.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Julia Burleson, Leila Sullivan
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
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Wyoming Rural Primary Care Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Wyoming in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Idaho Rural Primary Care Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Idaho in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Alaska Rural Primary Care Workforce
Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Alaska in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Characteristics of Family Medicine Physician Associates/Assistants in the United States
Examines characteristics of physician associates/assistants (PAs) who work in family medicine (FM). Utilizes 2023 National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) data to analyze PAs in FM, PAs working outside of FM, PA demographics, urban versus rural employment setting, practice characteristics, and more.
Author(s): Bethany Grubb, Cynthia F. Griffith, Mirela Bruza-Augatis, Kasey Puckett, Andrzej Kozikowski
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 1220
Date: 09/2025
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Adverse Childhood Experiences and Preventive Health Care among Rural US Children: A Cross-Sectional Examination of 2022 National Health Interview Survey Data
Examines the relationship between preventative healthcare utilization and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Analyzes 2022 National Health Interview Survey data from 425 children residing in nonmetro locations according to physician visits, dental visits, vaccinations, and self-reported ACEs.
Author(s): Mary Labuhn, Andrew Williams
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70081
Date: 09/2025
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Data Driven Decisions: Using Data to Identify Health Services and Needs for Rural Emergency Hospitals
Describes the Health Services and Needs Assessment (HSNA) tool provided to Rural Emergency Hospitals (REHs) and facility exploring the REH designation. Summarizes aggregated data on health indicators and availability of preventive care across REH communities based on 36 HSNAs completed through September 2024, as well as lessons learned regarding common issues faced by rural hospitals.
Author(s): Susie Aft, Autum Martin, Anna Anna, Candice Talkington, Tracey Dorff
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Redesign Center
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