Washington resources via the Rural Health Information Hub

Resource: An Assessment of the Long-Term Care Workforce Services in the State of Washington Part 1: A Quantitative Analysis

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:24:18 -0500

Report to the Washington State legislature on the workforce challenges facing long-term care in the state. Explores long-term care quality measures and nurse turnover throughout the state. Provides a breakdown of rural facility data. Report is split into 2 parts. -- Center for Health Workforce Studies

Resource: Sharing Resources and Working Together: The Rural Collaborative

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:03:48 -0500

Provides an overview of the Rural Collaborative, a network of 31 rural public hospitals across Washington state. Describes how the network helps participating hospitals maintain their independence by sharing resources and working together on shared services, peer learning, operational support, and preferred pricing. Discusses the network's history and members, network operations and priorities, and future plans. -- Rural Health Value

News: CMS: Medicare Program; Delayed Implementation of Certain Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:03:29 -0500

Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a delay in the implementation of two services from the list of Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) model items and services. The two services for which the prior authorization or pre-payment review process are delayed are 1) Deep Brain Stimulation for Essential Tremor and Parkinson's Disease (NCD 160.24) and 2) Percutaneous Image-Guided Lumbar Decompression for Spinal Stenosis (NCD 150.13). This notice is effective April 6, 2026.

News: CMS: Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model; Correction

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:57:19 -0500

Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making typographical and technical corrections to the July 1, 2025 notice titled "Medicare Program; Implementation of Prior Authorization for Select Services for the Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) Model." Corrections are effective April 6, 2026.

News: Like 'Driving to San Francisco and Back, Every Week': In Rural America, Cancer Patients Face Tall Hurdles to Get Care

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:36:58 -0500

Describes long distances to cancer treatment common in rural areas and how one Texas medical facility added the service in a small community. Discusses challenges in attracting oncologists to rural facilities and offering access to more modern, advanced treatments.

Resource: Expanding Access to Low-Barrier Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in Non-Traditional Settings: Washington's Opioid Treatment Network

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:48:50 -0500

Presents a study exploring use of opioid treatment networks to provide low-barrier access to medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Washington State. Compares rates of buprenorohine utilization of individuals within and outside of the network and by rural-urban residence.

News: Improving Housing Options in Rural Communities

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:38:52 -0500

Highlights housing policies from rural Maine, North Dakota, Washington, and Oregon that make their communities more affordable and livable, including for older adults and residents with disabilities.

Funding opportunity: Nmryaqs: Post-Baccalaureate Pathway for Enrolled Tribal Members

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 15:45:36 -0500

A 10-month program at Washington State University that supports the successful recruitment, training, retention, and graduation of medical students who are enrolled Tribal members.

Resource: Development and Implementation of the Indian Health Service Expanded Function Dental Assistant-1 (EFDA-1) Occupation

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:22:59 -0600

Report describing the Expanded Function Dental Assistant-1 (EFDA-1) role within the Indian Health Service. Includes information about its implementation, its importance in rural and underserved areas, and its place in Washington's dental workforce and related career pathways. -- UW Center for Health Workforce Studies

Event: 2026 Northwest Tribal Public Health Emergency Preparedness Training & Conference

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0600

Ocean Shores WA
May 4, 2026 -- Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Oregon Health Authority, Washington State Department of Health

Funding opportunity: American Connection Corps

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:06:59 -0600

A 1-year fellowship program that trains and mobilizes leaders to work in rural and emerging communities to coordinate broadband development and digital inclusion. -- AmeriCorps

Resource: Washington Rural Health Transformation Program

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 14:25:24 -0600

Provides information on Washington's Rural Health Transformation Program. Includes links to Washington's application materials, news and announcements, as well as resources and presentations used for stakeholder and community engagement to inform the development of the state's application. -- Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, Washington State Health Care Authority

Resource: 2024 Rural Community Innovations: Transportation Planning Grant

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:40:22 -0500

Summarizes the efforts to increase accessible transportation services by 11 grantees of the 2024 National Aging and Disability Transportation Center's Rural Community Innovations Transportation Planning Grant. Includes a report highlighting lessons learned by the grantees discussing community partnerships, outreach, and sustainability. Features programs from Maine, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, Montana, Texas, Washington, Georgia, and Missouri. -- National Aging and Disability Transportation Center

Resource: Idaho Rural Obstetrical Workforce

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 13:31:29 -0500

Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Idaho in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Using Propensity-Score Matched Cohorts to Evaluate Career Outcomes for Medical Students Completing the Underserved Pathway

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:53:13 -0500

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.

Resource: Washington Health Workforce - Rural/Urban Comparison

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:10:08 -0500

Database highlights workforce demands in healthcare facilities in Washington State on a rural and urban basis. Breaks down data by occupation and facility type. -- The Health Workforce Sentinel Network, UW Center for Health Workforce Studies

Resource: State Strategies for Strengthening Rural Health: Insights from NASHP's 2025 Annual Conference

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:13:08 -0500

Summarizes a session from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) 2025 Annual Conference regarding state strategies to improve access to care in rural communities. Highlights policies from North Dakota, Washington, and West Virginia related to workforce and capacity challenges, broadband and telehealth, behavioral health access points, and linking health and social care. -- National Academy for State Health Policy

Resource: Washington's Health Workforce Sentinel Network Findings Brief: Rural Health Workforce

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 08:48:41 -0500

Reports on rural health workforce challenges in Washington State, utilizing survey response data from healthcare employers. Highlights topics including workforce training, education, recruitment, and retention, and details employer strategies to address staffing challenges and identifies community factors influencing staffing. -- The Health Workforce Sentinel Network, UW Center for Health Workforce Studies

Resource: Washington's Rural Oral Health Workforce

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:12:40 -0500

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. -- UW Center for Health Workforce Studies

Organization: Midwest CMS QIN-QIO

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 09:49:18 -0500

A Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) working to increase access to quality care, enhance care delivery, and optimize health outcomes in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington.

Resource: Washington Rural Behavioral Health Workforce

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 09:52:34 -0500

Offers maps and tables of the supply and distribution of behavioral health clinicians in Washington State in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Washington Rural Primary Care Workforce

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 08:46:03 -0500

Offers maps and tables of the primary care workforce distribution in Georgia in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Washington Rural Obstetrical Workforce

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 08:33:25 -0500

Offers maps and tables of the obstetricians and advanced practice midwives workforce distribution in Washington in 2025. Includes county-level data and rural and urban comparisons. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Risk & Protective Factors for Rural Youth Substance Use: A Report for the Rural Network

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 15:48:05 -0500

Examines youth substance use in rural areas and various risk and protective factors. Utilizes data from Washington State's Rural Network members to analyze substance use and discusses school-based, family-based, and community-based preventive factors. -- WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Resource: Firearm Experiences, Behaviors, and Norms Among Rural Adolescents

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:30:24 -0500

Examines handgun carrying experiences and social norms among 93 rural adolescents in Washington state. Utilizes survey, interview, and focus group data to provide data on having carried a handgun, age at first carry, and views on acceptable and unacceptable ways to engage with firearms, reasons for carrying, and places to carry.

Organization: Washington Center for Nursing

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 16:11:58 -0500

Works to track, train, and support the nursing workforce in Washington State. Provides data and resources detailing the nursing workforce across the state. Highlights efforts to promote leadership and education in Washington's nurses.

Resource: Training a Rural Oral Health Workforce: Effects of Rural Background on Dentist Practice Choice

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:06:04 -0500

Assesses outcomes from 2012-2021 of the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, an educational track of the University of Washington School of Dentistry that aims to produce graduates who practice in rural areas of the Pacific Northwest. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural or nonrural upbringing.

Resource: Addressing the Spectrum of Opioid Misuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery in Rural Washington State Communities: Provider Identified Barriers and Needs

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 17:59:22 -0500

Highlights a study on provider-identified barriers to opioid use disorder treatment, recovery, and prevention in rural Washington State. Draws conclusions from survey data taken from July-September 2020 and features some discussion of COVID-19 on top of other pre-existing barriers. Breaks down data by role in healthcare workforce, work setting, and substance focus, among other factors.

Funding opportunity: Washington Emergency Broadband Loan Program

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 16:03:22 -0500

Loans to repair, replace, rehabilitate, improve, and/or reconstruct critical broadband infrastructure in Washington that was damaged by a natural disaster or unforeseen events.

Resource: Characteristics of the Current Dental Hygienist Workforce in Washington State

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 10:34:41 -0500

Reports on dental hygienist (DH) supply, distribution, and characteristics in Washington State, utilizing data from a survey of 995 DHs. Provides demographic data including rural versus urban location of residence. Features county-level maps showing DH geographic distribution. -- UW Center for Health Workforce Studies