Topics: Healthcare workforce

For more information and resources, see RHIhub’s Rural Healthcare Workforce topic guide.

Pennsylvania Hospital Transitions HRSA-Funded Program to Online Services and Addresses COVID-19 Stress

Butler Memorial Hospital in Pennsylvania received a HRSA Rural Health Care Services Outreach grant to develop a program for chronic disease patients. Partway through the grant cycle, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The hospital shares how it was able to transition its program services to an online format and develop new initiatives to address stress in the healthcare workforce and the larger community.

A Federally Qualified Health Center used grant support to provide primary care oral health assessment and fluoride varnishes in 12 school-based health centers in nine Louisiana parishes, hoping to provide thousands of children with better oral health in the present as well as into adulthood.

National Rural Health Association CEO Alan Morgan discusses his organization’s work on the national and global stages and shares his rural health predictions for 2020.

Recent research has found that not only are nearly 40% of surveyed physicians burned out, but 40% are also experiencing depression. For many reasons — stigma among them — these professionals are not getting mental health support. Physician health programs, in collaboration with professional societies, are trying to change that by working with state licensure boards and other groups.

National research has revealed it and rural research suggests it: over 40% of today’s physicians are burned out. This in-depth story reviews information about burnout in healthcare professions and for physicians in particular. Along with reviewing causes and impact, a medical school wellness-advocate, a researcher, and a large healthcare organization with a rural footprint shared interventions and solutions.

Over 40% of today’s physicians are burned out. A closer look at research indicates that not only is this a system problem rather than an individual problem, but that burnout impacts a system’s revenue streams, healthcare quality, and patient safety and satisfaction. Experts suggest the problem may even be of more concern in rural areas.

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) can offer flexible financing options, but many operate at full capacity and there is a general lack of awareness of these institutions in rural spaces. Foundation and CDFI leaders share their perspectives about the difference CDFIs can make on rural health outcomes.

Deaf, hard of hearing, and deafblind people in rural communities may struggle to access healthcare due to a lack of interpreters as well as providers’ misunderstanding of their culture and communication needs. A Michigan clinic hires ASL-fluent staff and provides telemental health, a New Jersey state division provides deaf sensitivity training, and a Colorado program brings interpreters to rural communities.

Vaccination rates for rural children and adolescents are lower than for their urban counterparts. A nurse practitioner in Louisiana and a former professor in Kentucky share how they’ve increased vaccination rates in their communities.

Healthcare workers are four times more likely to be seriously injured on the job than other professionals. Research, tools, and campaigns are equipping rural hospital leaders to better protect their employees and develop a culture of safety.

The Rural Monitor

Articles and resources on key rural health issues, from the Rural Health Information Hub

Topics: Healthcare workforce

Pennsylvania Hospital Transitions HRSA-Funded Program to Online Services and Addresses COVID-19 Stress

Making a Difference for Generations to Come: School-Based Oral Healthcare in Louisiana

Rural Health Predictions: Q&A with Alan Morgan

Healthcare Professionals’ Mental Health Needs: Where Can They Go?

Physician Burnout: Definition(s), Cause(s), Impact(s), Solution(s)

Burnout: Measurement Tool(s), Cause(s) and Impact(s)

CDFIs ‘Make Dreams Come True’ by Creating Opportunity in Rural Spaces

Enhancing Services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind Patients in Rural America

Effective Communication and Consistency in Increasing Rural Vaccination Rates

Violence Against Hospital Workers: Growing Awareness, Rural Interventions, and Why It Still Goes Unreported