Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Recruitment and retention of health professionals
Physician Recruitment and Retention in an Underserved Community: The Role of a Premedical Research Program
Discusses physician shortages in rural and medically underserved areas and discusses the impact of the Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH) Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) to provide clinical and research experiences to pre-medical students in Hawaii. Analyzes 393 SSRP alumni experiences from 1986-2023 according to medical school admission, residency, practice location, and more. Discusses the importance of community-level programs to improve recruitment and retention of the local healthcare workforce.
Author(s): Lily Johnson, Kirra Borrello, Justin Abe, et al.
Citation: BMC Medical Education, 25, 1441
Date: 10/2025
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Discusses physician shortages in rural and medically underserved areas and discusses the impact of the Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH) Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) to provide clinical and research experiences to pre-medical students in Hawaii. Analyzes 393 SSRP alumni experiences from 1986-2023 according to medical school admission, residency, practice location, and more. Discusses the importance of community-level programs to improve recruitment and retention of the local healthcare workforce.
Author(s): Lily Johnson, Kirra Borrello, Justin Abe, et al.
Citation: BMC Medical Education, 25, 1441
Date: 10/2025
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The Latest Trends in Health Workforce Legislation
Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Summarizes an August 2025 discussion of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Health Workforce Peer Learning Group regarding state healthcare workforce policy trends. Covers state policy levers to recruit and retain members of the health workforce and promote access to care. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Kelsie George
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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University of Rhode Island: Independent Feasibility Study into a Medical School at the University of Rhode Island
Assesses the feasibility of establishing a public medical school at the University of Rhode Island with the goal of addressing current and projected physician shortages in the state. Includes 4 recommendations addressing statewide integration, sustainable funding, and recruiting local students. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tripp Umbach
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Assesses the feasibility of establishing a public medical school at the University of Rhode Island with the goal of addressing current and projected physician shortages in the state. Includes 4 recommendations addressing statewide integration, sustainable funding, and recruiting local students. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tripp Umbach
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Rural-Urban Comparisons of Nursing Staff Turnover among Skilled Nursing Facilities
Results of a study assessing facility-level turnover rates for nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region, using data from 14,986 facilities. Features statistics on turnover rates in 2022, with breakdowns by total nursing staff and registered nurses only, and by rural or urban areas. Also includes a county-level map showing average nursing staff turnover rates.
Author(s): Michael D. Wirth, Nick Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Results of a study assessing facility-level turnover rates for nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region, using data from 14,986 facilities. Features statistics on turnover rates in 2022, with breakdowns by total nursing staff and registered nurses only, and by rural or urban areas. Also includes a county-level map showing average nursing staff turnover rates.
Author(s): Michael D. Wirth, Nick Yell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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"You Can't Do Anything by Yourself": Recruiting and Retaining Mental Health Professionals in Rural America
Discusses the challenges in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural areas, as well as strategies and approaches to address the need. Features a Michigan mental health center CEO and state behavioral health organizations in Nebraska and South Carolina. Also includes insights from 3RNET, which focuses nationally on rural health recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the challenges in recruiting and retaining mental health professionals in rural areas, as well as strategies and approaches to address the need. Features a Michigan mental health center CEO and state behavioral health organizations in Nebraska and South Carolina. Also includes insights from 3RNET, which focuses nationally on rural health recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Washington's Rural Oral Health Workforce
Highlights challenges in access to oral healthcare in rural Washington, workforce shortages, and geographic disparities. Emphasizes the need for strategies to support recruitment, retention, and training of oral health professionals in underserved areas. Features demographics and statistics on oral health professionals, with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas, and Washington maps showing distribution of various oral health professionals, with shadings indicating rural and nonrural counties.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Highlights challenges in access to oral healthcare in rural Washington, workforce shortages, and geographic disparities. Emphasizes the need for strategies to support recruitment, retention, and training of oral health professionals in underserved areas. Features demographics and statistics on oral health professionals, with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas, and Washington maps showing distribution of various oral health professionals, with shadings indicating rural and nonrural counties.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Disappearing Doctors: The Reshaping of Rural Healthcare and Its Impact on Rural Physician Recruitment
Blog post examining the shift in the number of independent physicians and practices in rural areas, and the decline in overall number of physicians practicing in these areas. Describes the rise in corporate and hospital employment and offers suggestions for recruitment strategies.
Author(s): Helen Falkner
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Jackson Physician Search
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Blog post examining the shift in the number of independent physicians and practices in rural areas, and the decline in overall number of physicians practicing in these areas. Describes the rise in corporate and hospital employment and offers suggestions for recruitment strategies.
Author(s): Helen Falkner
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Jackson Physician Search
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UAMS Regional Campuses: 2023-24 Annual Report
Reports on the 2023-2024 activities of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Regional Campuses, including discussion of health professions training, pipeline programs, recruiting, education, and more. Includes county-level data on practice location of physician graduates as well as an overview of rural programming and research.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses
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Reports on the 2023-2024 activities of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Regional Campuses, including discussion of health professions training, pipeline programs, recruiting, education, and more. Includes county-level data on practice location of physician graduates as well as an overview of rural programming and research.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses
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Washington State's Anesthesia Workforce
Provides an overview of the anesthesia care workforce in Washington State as well as a literature review related to anesthesia workforce quality and gaps. Focuses on training, career pathways, scope of practice, licensure, and employment data. Examines county-level and rural versus urban data on healthcare sites, services, and healthcare professionals providing anesthesia care. Includes workforce analyses of a variety of healthcare professionals working in anesthesia, such as nurses, oral healthcare workers, physicians, and physician assistants.
Additional links: Anesthesiologist Assistants Occupational Brief, Anesthesiologists Occupational Brief, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Occupational Brief, Dental Anesthesia Assistants Occupational Brief, Dentists Occupational Brief, Physician Assistants Occupational Brief
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Kyla F. Woodward, Samantha W. Pollack, et al.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Provides an overview of the anesthesia care workforce in Washington State as well as a literature review related to anesthesia workforce quality and gaps. Focuses on training, career pathways, scope of practice, licensure, and employment data. Examines county-level and rural versus urban data on healthcare sites, services, and healthcare professionals providing anesthesia care. Includes workforce analyses of a variety of healthcare professionals working in anesthesia, such as nurses, oral healthcare workers, physicians, and physician assistants.
Additional links: Anesthesiologist Assistants Occupational Brief, Anesthesiologists Occupational Brief, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists Occupational Brief, Dental Anesthesia Assistants Occupational Brief, Dentists Occupational Brief, Physician Assistants Occupational Brief
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Kyla F. Woodward, Samantha W. Pollack, et al.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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2025 Workforce Survey Report: The Status of Kentucky's Hospital Workforce
Provides an in-depth look at non-physician direct care positions in inpatient or hospital-related outpatient departments in Kentucky as of 2024. Includes statistics on vacancies, benefits, and pay, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Maik Schutze
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kentucky Hospital Association
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Provides an in-depth look at non-physician direct care positions in inpatient or hospital-related outpatient departments in Kentucky as of 2024. Includes statistics on vacancies, benefits, and pay, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Maik Schutze
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kentucky Hospital Association
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