Workforce
Completed Projects
Analysis of Options for Criteria to Determine Underservice
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Workforce
Analysis of Options for Revisions to the Criteria for Designation for Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Workforce
Changes in the Supply, Distribution, Workload and Reimbursement Patterns of Pharmacists in Rural Areas
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Pharmacy and prescription drugs,
Workforce
This study will examine the supply, distribution, workload, and reimbursement patterns of pharmacists in rural areas. The study will also examine pharmacy licensure data in rural vs. urban areas to study trends in pharmacy ownership patterns.
Chartbook of Family Practice Graduate Medical Education Programs in Rural America
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Physicians,
Workforce
Little is known about the volume, location, and types of rural training for family physicians. This project will produce a chartbook that makes previously unreported information about family physician residency directors more fully available to medical educators and other policymakers.
Community Health Worker Certification Process in Texas: Implications for Practice and Policy
Research center:
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health policy,
Hispanics,
Legislation and regulation,
Workforce
Determinants of Quality of Care in Rural Communities: How Does The Health Care Infrastructure Affect Quality of Care in Rural America?
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health services,
Quality,
Workforce
Distribution and Retention of General Surgeons in Rural Areas of the U.S.
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health services,
Physicians,
Workforce
Establishing a Fair Payment for Rural Physicians
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health policy,
Physicians,
Workforce
This project will analyze differences in physician payment as a function of practice location and simulate policy choices that change the current payment formula.
Evaluation of Washington State Shortage Designations
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Workforce
In What Types of Communities Do Rural Women Physicians Practice?
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Physicians,
Women,
Workforce
Information Technology Engineering Support for Health Resources and Services Administration Data Systems/Geospatial Data Warehouse, GIS Technologies, GEMS Support and General Office of Information Technology Systems Support
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health policy,
Technology,
Workforce
Is Rural Residency Training of Family Physicians an Endangered Species? An Interim Follow-up to the 1999 National BBA Study
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
International Medical Graduates (IMGs),
Physicians,
Workforce
This study examined the proportion of rural-based family medicine residencies that have ceased operations since 2000, the residency-match experiences of the surviving programs, the proportion of U.S. medical school graduates and international medical graduates, major issues confronting these rural residencies, and likely impacts of these changes on the preparation of future family physicians for rural America.
J-1 Visa Project
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health policy,
International Medical Graduates (IMGs),
J-1 Visa Waiver,
Workforce
Long Term Trends in Characteristics of the Rural Nurse Workforce: A National Health Workforce Study
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Mid-level practitioners,
Nurses,
Workforce
This national study characterizes changes in the demographic, education and practice characteristics of registered nurses (RNs) in rural and urban areas from 1980 to 2004. This study provides important information for projecting future trends in rural RN supply.
Move Toward Clinical Doctorates in the Allied Health Professions: Implications for Rural Areas
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Allied health professionals,
Workforce
Allied health occupations play a major role in health care delivery and comprise a significant proportion of the health care workforce in the United States. Researchers have found empirical evidence of allied health shortages in many states. Given the longstanding history of health professional shortages facing rural areas, there are concerns that the existing and impending shortages in allied health professions may be particularly acute in rural areas. This study will synthesize information on allied health professions, such as credentialing requirements and wage comparisons, with telephone and in-person interviews of rural health care employers, educators, and practitioners in order to assess the degree of alignment between community needs for allied health care services and existing and proposed certification and educational training for these health care providers.
National Changes in Physician Supply
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
International Medical Graduates (IMGs),
Physicians,
Workforce
This project describes the supply of allopathic and osteopathic physicians in rural and urban areas of the US. Study results will provide a current picture of rural physician supply and its variation by state and by region.
National Rural General Surgeon Project
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health services,
Physicians,
Workforce
Occupational Mix Differences Across PPS Hospitals: Analysis of Hospital Occupation Mix Survey Data and Implications for Rural Hospital Payments
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS),
Workforce
This study addresses the occupation-mix adjustment that has recently been added to the computation of the area wage index used to adjust Medicare prospective rates for all institutional health care providers. The study will review the policy objectives as well as the mechanics of the adjustment, and then analyze the data from the most recent occupation-mix survey to obtain a better understanding of occupation mix differences across labor markets and hospital types.
Physician Residency Rural Training Baseline Study
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Physicians,
Workforce
Role of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Addressing Mental Health Workforce Shortages
Research center:
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Mental health,
Nurses,
Workforce
Rural Access and State Loan Repayment for Dentists
Research center:
ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Dental health,
Workforce
This project will identify and evaluate the effectiveness of state loan repayment programs for dentists on improving access to rural health care. This study will establish baseline information about these programs that can be used by states to design and tailor similar programs for rural access.
Rural Dentistry: Availability, Practice, and Access
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Dental health,
Workforce
Rural Emergency Department Staffing: Implications for the Quality of Emergency Care Provided in Rural Areas
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality,
Workforce
This project will describe emergency department (ED) staffing patterns in rural hospitals; determine how the certification, training, and experience of ED physicians and other providers in different ED staffing models vary; and assess the implications of rural ED staffing for the quality of emergency care in rural areas, continuity of care, and rural EDs’ role as safety net providers.
Rural Emergency Medical Services: Workforce and Medical Direction
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Workforce
This two year study will examine the status of medical direction for rural EMS systems and the nature of the challenges and impediments to obtaining adequate medical direction in rural areas across the country. In addition, the study will address issues surrounding the recruitment and retention of paid and volunteer staff for rural EMS systems.
Rural Health Center Expansion and Recruitment Survey
Research centers:
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center,
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs),
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs),
Workforce
This collaborative project between WWAMI and the South Carolina Rural Health Research Centers examined and described the current staffing needs of rural health centers (HC), ascertained the staffing, recruitment, and retention issues that HC CEOs regard as most critical; distinguish edhow issues differ between CEOs contemplating development of expansion sites versus those who are not; and described how these findings correlate with the literature and current national supply projections for the categories of health professions needed by the HCs.
Rural Population and Providers: Mapping the 2000 Census
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Rural statistics and demographics,
Workforce
Rural-Urban Physician Payment Differences Across the Nation: Methodological Changes
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health policy,
Medicare,
Physicians,
Workforce
This project will simulate the effects of changes to the methodologies used to calculate the three geographic practice cost indices (GPCIs) currently used to adjust physician payment across the 89 Medicare payment areas in the U.S. and territories. Changes to the payment formula will be analyzed to determine potential impact on payment across areas and revenues for rural physician practices.
State of Rural Health Provider Organizations and Health Professional Shortages
Research center:
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Allied health professionals,
Home health,
Nurses,
Workforce
This study addresses the convergence of health professions shortages and financial limitations among rural hospitals and rural home health providers. Successful strategies or best practices implemented in rural areas to address the shortages will be identified.
State Rural Health Workforce Monograph
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Physicians,
Workforce
Stay or Leave: Evidence from a Cohort of Young Rural Physicians
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Physicians,
Workforce
This project aims to improve understanding of the dynamics of physician practice location decision making by examining and analyzing changes in practice locations for a sample of rural physicians.
The Rural/Urban Practice Location Patterns of Women Medical School Graduates
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Physicians,
Women,
Workforce
While women are becoming an increasingly large percentage of the graduates of medical schools, they are much less likely to locate their practices in rural towns. This study involved a survey including questions about where the residents preferred to locate and how much they thought they would be practicing in the future.
Turnover Costs in Rural Emergency Medical Services
Research center:
ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funders:
North Central EMS Institute ,
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Workforce
Costs associated with providing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transportation in rural areas are much higher than in urban communities. This study will measure the annual rate of turnover among rural EMS systems, identify costs associated with turnover, and create a budgeting tool for calculating the costs of turnover.
Volunteer Labor and the Organizational Structure of Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Providers
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Workforce
Which Training Programs Produce Rural Physicians? A National Health Workforce Study
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Physicians,
Workforce
This national study is using comprehensive, longitudinal data on medical schools and residency location to determine the extent to which the nation's medical schools and residency programs vary in their production of rural physicians by specialty.
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