Rural Healthcare Workforce – Resources

Check with the Intended Audience First! Content Validation as a Method for Inclusive Research for Primary Care Engagement in Rural Appalachia
Results of a study intended to develop and content validate a survey to assess engagement and burnout, referral practices, and self-efficacy and confidence in making referrals based on social determinants of health among primary care providers and clinic staff in Appalachian North Carolina. Uses data from 10 participants, collected between August and November 2022.
Author(s): Sydeena E. Isaacs, Jennifer Schroeder Tyson, Ashley Parks, Danielle Adams
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(1):69–89
Date: 04/2024
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A Lack of Behavioral Health Providers in Medicare and Medicaid Impedes Enrollees' Access to Care
Examines the availability of behavioral health providers who actively serve Medicare or Medicaid enrollees in 20 counties, 10 urban and 10 rural, across 10 states in 2021. Explores the extent to which traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid enrollees received behavioral health services and whether they used telehealth or in-person services. Offers recommendations to encourage more behavioral health providers to serve these enrollees and expand coverage to additional behavioral health provider types. Includes rural and urban comparisons throughout.
Additional links: Report Highlights
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2021 to 2036
Projects future supply of active physicians by examining trends in key determinants and the sensitivity of supply projections to changes in determinants. Features statistics including projected demand for primary care or non-primary care specialties by urban or rural location, with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Author(s): Tim Dall, Ryan Reynolds, Ritashree Chakrabarti, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Association of American Medical Colleges
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Nursing Home Workforce Issues and Inequities
Offers an overview of issues related to the direct care workforce in nursing homes including staffing shortages, recruitment and retention, low wages, job training, interdisciplinary care, and more. Discusses proposed policies offering workforce-related reforms. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Travers, Rita Choula, Edem Hado
Date: 02/2024
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Physician and Advanced Practice Clinician Burnout in Rural and Urban Settings
Describes burnout and contributing work conditions among physicians and advanced practice clinicians, using data from an anonymous electronic survey conducted in March 2022. Explores the effect of COVID-19 on health workforce burnout, and features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Melissa L. Harry, Nancy L. Sudak, Mary J. Engels, et al.
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 37(1), 43-58
Date: 01/2024
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Expanding Behavioral Health Care Workforce Participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace Plans
Report highlights barriers to obtaining behavioral health treatment on Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace plans. Discusses barriers specific to rural and tribal communities. Details behavioral workforce needs and makes policy recommendations.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Confronting Workforce Shortages and Health Worker Well-Being
Six videos addressing the impact of healthcare worker shortages and how those shortages affect individual well-being and the ability to provide care in rural communities. Includes a keynote presentation by the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Health Service. Transcripts available under the descriptions of the videos.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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A National Staffing Emergency in Rural Health Care
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with three rural hospital executives from Colorado, Wisconsin, and Michigan regarding workforce shortages in rural hospitals. Describes factors driving workforce challenges; recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies; approaches to introducing healthcare careers to youth and the community; and the role of technology in meeting healthcare needs.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Addressing the Direct Care Workforce Shortage: A Bipartisan Call to Action
Report discusses direct care worker shortages throughout the country. Details shortages of home health aids, certified nursing assistants, and residential care aids, among other direct care workers, and makes recommendations for decreasing shortages. Highlights some of the added barriers faced by rural communities.
Author(s): Lisa Harootunian, Kamryn Perry, Allison Buffett, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Keeping Rural EMS Reliable and Sustainable, with James Small
An episode of the Exploring Rural Health podcast featuring James Small, Rural EMS Outreach Director for the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health. Focuses on rural emergency medical services workforce and funding shortages, and how rural EMS can be maintained and expanded.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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