Rural Health
Research Gateway

Sara Woolcock, MPH, RDN

WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Phone: 206.685.6610
Email: swoolc@uw.edu
LinkedIn: Sara on LinkedIn

Department of Family Medicine
University of Washington
4311 Eleventh Ave NE, Suite 210
Seattle, WA 98105

Current Projects - (5)

  • Access to and Provision of Child and Youth Behavioral Health Services in the Rural and Urban U.S.
    The need for behavioral health treatment for youth has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about the availability of youth behavioral health providers in rural areas. This study will investigate who provides behavioral health services to youth, how the workforce is distributed, and gaps in service availability.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Allied health professionals, Children and adolescents, Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Physician assistants, Physicians, Substance use and treatment, Workforce
  • Geographic Misclassification of Cancer Care Physicians and Rural Cancer Care Service Delivery Patterns
    This study will examine the potential misclassification of rural cancer care capacity by quantifying the degree to which classification by primary practice location underestimates the availability of cancer care services in rural areas when urban-based physicians regularly cross geographic boundaries to serve rural populations.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Cancer, Health services, Healthcare access, Physicians, Rural statistics and demographics, Workforce
  • Health Care Spending in Rural vs. Urban U.S. by Health Condition
    Health care spending patterns vary substantially between rural and urban areas in the United States. This project will examine detailed health care spending patterns using insurance claim data in U.S. counties by specific health conditions across the rural-urban continuum.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health services, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Private health insurance, Quality
  • Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselor Training Programs
    This study will examine the national geographic distribution of marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors training programs, characterize variation in state training requirements, and assess the extent to which programs incorporate rural-specific curricula or clinical rotations.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Healthcare access, Medicare, Mental and behavioral health, Workforce
  • Variation in Scope of Practice and Services Provided by Rural vs Urban Primary Care Providers
    This project will examine differences in practice patterns between rural and urban primary care providers by analyzing insurance claims data to determine variations in the density and intensity of services provided directly by primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants across different geographic settings.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Physician assistants, Physicians, Workforce

Completed Projects - (2)

  • Overcoming Barriers to Providing Rural Obstetrical Training for Physicians
    Rural communities struggle to maintain obstetrical (OB) services, due in part to scarce rural training opportunities for obstetricians and family physicians. This study described the availability, characteristics, and output of residency and fellowship programs offering rural OB training and identified solutions to support this training.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Healthcare access, Maternal health, Physicians, Women, Workforce
  • Trends in Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S.
    Rural communities in the U.S. have struggled to recruit and sustain sufficient health professionals to ensure adequate access to care. This study used multiple sources of data to describe the geographic distribution (rural/urban, regional, and intra-rural) of numerous types of health professionals.
    Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Allied health professionals, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Oral health, Physician assistants, Physicians

Publications - (10)

2025

2024

  • Trends in the Health Workforce Supply in the Rural U.S.
    Report
    WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 10/2024
    This report examines the availability of current and historical workforce data for a variety of health care professionals and provides estimates of the trends in the supply and distribution in the rural vs. urban U.S. workforce.

2023

  • Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Rural Training in Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowships
    Policy Brief
    WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 06/2023
    This policy brief describes the results of a survey on the characteristics and challenges faced by rurally oriented family medicine obstetrics fellowship programs. All survey respondents reported their programs had a mission to train family physicians for rural practice, yet less than one-third of programs reported they required rural training.
  • Understanding and Overcoming Barriers to Rural Obstetric Training for Family Physicians
    Journal Article
    WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 03/2023
    Family physicians are the most common health professional providing rural obstetric (OB) care, but the number of family physicians practicing OB is declining. This mixed-methods study aimed to inform policy and practice solutions to address the training landscape and inform sustainable initiatives for rural family medicine obstetrical training.

2022