Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care
Evaluation of the Primary Care First Model: Third Annual Report
Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the PCF model implementation experiences for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 practices through 2023. Explores the characteristics of practices and payers that continued to participate in the PCF model compared to those who left. Examines the role that the PCF Model's incentives and supports played in the strategies and practices adopted to improve care delivery and how the trajectory of these strategies and activities practices have transformed over time. Estimates the impact of the PCF Model on Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) expenditures and service use, including acute hospitalizations. Estimates the impacts of the model on a set of seven leading indicators to provide an early assessment of whether care delivery changes are resulting in meaningful early outcome changes.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Provides an overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) model, which aims to enhance primary care and move primary care practitioners toward value-based payment. Describes the PCF model implementation experiences for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 practices through 2023. Explores the characteristics of practices and payers that continued to participate in the PCF model compared to those who left. Examines the role that the PCF Model's incentives and supports played in the strategies and practices adopted to improve care delivery and how the trajectory of these strategies and activities practices have transformed over time. Estimates the impact of the PCF Model on Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) expenditures and service use, including acute hospitalizations. Estimates the impacts of the model on a set of seven leading indicators to provide an early assessment of whether care delivery changes are resulting in meaningful early outcome changes.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
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Arkansas's Shifting Rural-Urban Divide: Healthcare Access Issues
Provides data on shortages of primary care physicians and dentists in rural and urban areas in Arkansas, and discusses high vulnerability to closure among rural hospitals in the state.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Provides data on shortages of primary care physicians and dentists in rural and urban areas in Arkansas, and discusses high vulnerability to closure among rural hospitals in the state.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers: 2024 Annual Report
Reports on the 2024 activities of the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, which serves as Arizona's primary care association. Discusses community health centers' services provided, locations, priorities, advocacy, finances, and more, including discussion of farmworkers and rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers
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Reports on the 2024 activities of the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, which serves as Arizona's primary care association. Discusses community health centers' services provided, locations, priorities, advocacy, finances, and more, including discussion of farmworkers and rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers
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Utah Physician and Osteopathic Physician Workforce Data Report
Report details the education, recruitment, and retention of Utah's physician and osteopathic physician workforce. Discusses supply and demand, demographics, geographic distribution, practice characteristics, projected supply and demand, and specialty profiles including primary care and specialty care.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
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Report details the education, recruitment, and retention of Utah's physician and osteopathic physician workforce. Discusses supply and demand, demographics, geographic distribution, practice characteristics, projected supply and demand, and specialty profiles including primary care and specialty care.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
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Primary Care Workforce in Illinois Counties, Demand and Supply
Examines primary care workforce supply and demand in Illinois. Provides county-level data on number of primary care physicians (PCPs), physician assistants (PAs), and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with metro versus nonmetro county comparisons.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Examines primary care workforce supply and demand in Illinois. Provides county-level data on number of primary care physicians (PCPs), physician assistants (PAs), and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with metro versus nonmetro county comparisons.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Different Forms of Stigma and Rural Primary Care Professionals' Willingness to Prescribe Buprenorphine
Presents a study exploring the different types of stigma affecting buprenorphine and other medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) prescribing rates in rural primary care settings. Details perceived stigmas around MOUD by providers, such as the fear of being harmed by patients, fear of their professional image being harmed, and the fear of the medications harming their patients.
Author(s): Berkeley Franz, Lindsay Y. Dhanani, Sean Bogart, et al.
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 171, 209633
Date: 04/2025
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Presents a study exploring the different types of stigma affecting buprenorphine and other medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) prescribing rates in rural primary care settings. Details perceived stigmas around MOUD by providers, such as the fear of being harmed by patients, fear of their professional image being harmed, and the fear of the medications harming their patients.
Author(s): Berkeley Franz, Lindsay Y. Dhanani, Sean Bogart, et al.
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 171, 209633
Date: 04/2025
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Idaho Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area Service Areas
Illustrates the Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in the state of Idaho by county. Includes both the geographic and population group HPSA designations.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Idaho Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Illustrates the Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in the state of Idaho by county. Includes both the geographic and population group HPSA designations.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Idaho Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Millions in US Live in Places Where Doctors Don't Practice and Telehealth Doesn't Reach
Discusses U.S. regions that experience healthcare workforce shortages and lack access to telehealth. Includes interactive county-level map showing behavioral healthcare deserts, primary care deserts, broadband deserts, dead zones, life expectancy, household income, and percentage of rural residents. Provides comparisons of chronic disease for those with and without digital access and showcases county-level dead zones in Alabama.
Author(s): Sarah Jane Tribble, Holly K. Hacker Data, Lydia Zuraw
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Discusses U.S. regions that experience healthcare workforce shortages and lack access to telehealth. Includes interactive county-level map showing behavioral healthcare deserts, primary care deserts, broadband deserts, dead zones, life expectancy, household income, and percentage of rural residents. Provides comparisons of chronic disease for those with and without digital access and showcases county-level dead zones in Alabama.
Author(s): Sarah Jane Tribble, Holly K. Hacker Data, Lydia Zuraw
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Social Workers Bridge Critical Care Gaps and Improve Health Outcomes for Rural Veterans
Discusses the role of social workers in primary care teams for rural veterans. Explores the impacts of incorporating social workers into primary care on hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and closing gaps in rural service delivery.
Author(s): James Rudolph
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Systems Research, Office of Research & Development
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Discusses the role of social workers in primary care teams for rural veterans. Explores the impacts of incorporating social workers into primary care on hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and closing gaps in rural service delivery.
Author(s): James Rudolph
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Systems Research, Office of Research & Development
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Exploring Access to Critical Health Services for Older Adults in Rural America from 1990 to 2020
Analyzes Area Health Resource Files to evaluate access to healthcare facilities and services between 1990 and 2020 using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Discusses healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas and the growth of the older adult population in rural communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Bambury, Alexis A. Merdjanoff, Joshua T. Fergen, J. Tom Mueller
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70004
Date: 02/2025
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Analyzes Area Health Resource Files to evaluate access to healthcare facilities and services between 1990 and 2020 using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Discusses healthcare access disparities between urban and rural areas and the growth of the older adult population in rural communities.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Bambury, Alexis A. Merdjanoff, Joshua T. Fergen, J. Tom Mueller
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e70004
Date: 02/2025
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