Rural Healthcare Workforce – Models and Innovations

These stories feature model programs and successful rural projects that can serve as a source of ideas and provide lessons others have learned. Some of the projects or programs may no longer be active. Read about the criteria and evidence-base for programs included.

Other Project Examples

SCDMH Emergency Department Telepsychiatry Consultation Program
Updated/reviewed February 2023

• Need: The shortage of mental health professionals in rural South Carolina resulted in an influx of patients admitted to emergency departments who were in need of psychiatric care.
• Intervention: South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) partnered with The Duke Endowment to create the SCDMH Emergency Department Telepsychiatry Program. Rural emergency departments can now reach a psychiatrist to assess a patient via telehealth.
• Results: The program has improved access, affordability, and provided quality care for rural providers and patients with mental illness.

Mississippi Rural Health Fellowship Certification
Updated/reviewed January 2023

• Need: A way to recognize Mississippi healthcare professionals and medical students for their rural-specific experience and expertise.
• Intervention: The Mississippi Rural Health Association created a certification that recognizes rural health experience and also fosters a greater understanding of rural-specific policies, regulations, and needs in the healthcare field.
• Results: Fellowship recipients receive statewide recognition for the time and dedication they have put into improving rural health in Mississippi.

ASPIN's Certified Recovery Specialist Program
Updated/reviewed September 2022

• Need: Improved approach in addressing the behavioral health and primary care disparities of Indiana's underserved rural counties.
• Intervention: A network was established that trained community health workers (CHW) to be certified health insurance enrollment navigators and provide mental health services.
• Results: This year, ASPIN trained 230 CHWs, cross-trained 70 behavioral health case managers as CHWs, and 35 individuals in the Indiana Navigator Pre-certification Education.

Frontier Area Rural Mental Health Camp and Mentorship Program (FARM CAMP)
Updated/reviewed September 2022

• Need: To reduce the shortage of behavioral health professionals in rural Nebraska.
• Intervention: A week-long camp teaches high school students in rural and tribal communities about different career options in behavioral health and provides mentorship after the camp ends.
• Results: In 2022, 10 high school students participated in the camp, and a former camper returned to present on their work in a psychology lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Military Medics and Corpsmen Program
Updated/reviewed September 2022

• Need: To help veterans transition into civilian healthcare careers.
• Intervention: MMAC and healthcare employers in urban and rural Virginia provide employment and education opportunities to veterans seeking civilian medical credentials.
• Results: MMAC has accepted 1,113 applicants into the program, 490 of whom have already found employment via the MMAC program.

Implementation of a Nursing Veterans' Initiative to Transform Education (INVITE)
Updated/reviewed August 2022

• Need: To support rural veterans pursuing a career in nursing.
• Intervention: The INVITE program improved the curriculum and reworked admission requirements to better support veteran students' experiences in the College of St. Scholastica undergraduate nursing program.
• Results: The number of veterans pursuing nursing has more than doubled since program implementation, and all students have reported an increased interest in serving rural communities.

Alaska Health Workforce Coalition
Updated/reviewed July 2022

• Need: To ensure a well-qualified and sustainable Alaskan workforce to meet the current and future health care needs of its residents.
• Intervention: Establishment of the Alaska Health Workforce Coalition (AHWC), a public-private partnership to develop, facilitate, implement, and support a statewide health workforce system.
• Results: Coalition efforts impacted multiple state policies and programs, included a loan repayment and incentives program, and completed a health vacancy study in order to expand and further develop health-related education programs.