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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Physician Workforce: Supply Increased in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas but Geographic Disparities Persisted
Describes the change in supply of physicians from 1991 to 2001. Includes data nationally and by state on physicians in nonmetropolitan areas and on the number of specialists versus generalists. Includes a list of Health Resources and Services Administration programs that address the supply and distribution of health professionals, with 1991 and 2001 expenditures for each program.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2003
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The Contribution of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants to Generalist Care in Washington State
Describes the contribution to generalist care made by nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) in Washington State. Includes data on NP and PA contributions in rural areas.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, Lorella Palazzo, Bobbi Berkowitz, Michael J. Pirani, L. Gary Hart
Citation: Health Services Research, 38(4), 1033-1050
Date: 08/2003
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Innovative Primary Care Case Management Programs Operating in Rural Communities: Case Studies of Three States
Discusses state programs that provide enhanced benefits to Medicaid beneficiaries such as enhanced primary care case management (PCCM). Includes examples from three states: Florida, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Additional links: Findings Brief, March 2003: Design of Enhanced Primary Care Case Management Programs Operating in Rural Communities: Lessons Learned from Three States
Author(s): Pam Silberman, Stephanie Poley, Rebecca Slifkin
Date: 01/2003
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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A Targeted Look at the Rural Health Care Safety Net
Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Discusses the safety net, the web of professionals and institutions that provide care to the poor and uninsured regardless of ability of pay. Also covers key safety net programs under the purview of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Its findings fall into three categories: ensuring access to hospital services, ensuring access to primary care, and maintaining an adequate workforce.
Date: 04/2002
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Rural Populations and Health Care Providers: A Map Book
A collection of maps showing the geographic distribution of rural populations and the healthcare providers that serve them.
Author(s): Randy K. Randolph, Katherine Gaul, Rebecca T. Slifkin
Date: 2002
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Update on the Physician Workforce
Compendium of three policy papers on the physician workforce, two of which address rural issues. The first paper provides data on the supply and distribution of physicians, including rural-specific national data, with state-by-state data in Appendix B. The second paper focuses on the rural family physician workforce, with supply projections through 2020.
Date: 08/2000
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Why Do Rural Primary-Care Physicians Sell Their Practices?
Evaluated why rural primary care physicians sold their practices, based on a survey in 5 states that looked at changes of ownership during the period from 1995 to 1998. Examined the factors that led independent physicians to sell their practices to either non-local buyers, local hospitals, or local physicians.
Author(s): Jeffrey Stensland, Michelle Brasure, Ira Moscovice
Date: 06/2000
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Access to Health Care Services (Virginia)
Explores types of health care services and issues related to access in rural areas of Virginia. Includes state maps showing locations of Rural Health Clinics, Critical Access Hospitals, and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Features statistics on primary care, dental, and mental health providers obligated to serve in shortage areas as of 2020, and avoidable hospitalizations as of 2017, with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Sponsoring organization: Virginia Department of Health
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Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program Evaluation: Academic Years 2018-2023
Summarizes results of a retrospective evaluation of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program for academic years (AYs) 2018-2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by specialty and by disadvantaged or rural residents, and a summary of accomplishments for those who received THCGME support during AY 2022-2023.
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Workforce Analysis
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Wisconsin Primary Care Programs: Maps and Data
Provides information on Primary Care, Mental, and Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in Wisconsin. Includes an interactive county-level map that shows geographic, high-needs geographic, and population based HPSAs.
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
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