Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Licensure and certification of health professionals
Indian Health Service: Opportunities Exist to Improve Clinician Screening Adherence and Oversight
Examines the Indian Health Service's (IHS) oversight of the credentialing and privileging process that reviews and verifies the professional qualifications of IHS physicians. Describes administrative tasks performed by IHS clinicians at federally operated facilities and the amount of time spent on these tasks. Offers recommendations to IHS, including the development of a single, authoritative source outlining procedures to meet credentialing and privileging requirements.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the Indian Health Service's (IHS) oversight of the credentialing and privileging process that reviews and verifies the professional qualifications of IHS physicians. Describes administrative tasks performed by IHS clinicians at federally operated facilities and the amount of time spent on these tasks. Offers recommendations to IHS, including the development of a single, authoritative source outlining procedures to meet credentialing and privileging requirements.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Healthcare Associate-Degree Career Discussion
A recorded panel discussion focused on high-demand health careers that require an associate degree. Highlights experiences from representatives in a variety of health fields.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Rural Health Association
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A recorded panel discussion focused on high-demand health careers that require an associate degree. Highlights experiences from representatives in a variety of health fields.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Rural Health Association
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Addressing the Shortage of Direct Care Workers: Insights from Seven States
Brief assessing efforts for strengthening and identifying federal policy opportunities related to the direct care workforce through interviews with 20 stakeholders in 7 states. Discusses federal funding, collaboration, workforce pipelines, equity, credentials, training, family caregivers, and home- and community-based services. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Molly O'Malley Watts
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Brief assessing efforts for strengthening and identifying federal policy opportunities related to the direct care workforce through interviews with 20 stakeholders in 7 states. Discusses federal funding, collaboration, workforce pipelines, equity, credentials, training, family caregivers, and home- and community-based services. Discusses rural throughout.
Author(s): Barbara Lyons, Molly O'Malley Watts
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Identifying Strategies for Strengthening the Health Care Workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Provides an overview of recent trends in the shortage of the nursing, primary care, and behavioral healthcare workforce in Virginia. Summarizes findings from an environmental scan and qualitative and quantitative data analysis regarding recruitment and retention strategies. Identifies interventions that could help the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA) successfully address workforce shortages and which interventions should be prioritized based on desired policy outcomes. Presents a system dynamic model simulating the medium- to long-term supply and employment trends within Virginia's healthcare workforce under status quo conditions and under various policy interventions. Includes information on recruitment and retention in rural areas throughout.
Additional links: Annex, Research Brief: Recommendations for Strengthening the Health Care Workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Author(s): Megan Andrew, Brian Briscombe, Raffaele Vardavas, et al.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Provides an overview of recent trends in the shortage of the nursing, primary care, and behavioral healthcare workforce in Virginia. Summarizes findings from an environmental scan and qualitative and quantitative data analysis regarding recruitment and retention strategies. Identifies interventions that could help the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA) successfully address workforce shortages and which interventions should be prioritized based on desired policy outcomes. Presents a system dynamic model simulating the medium- to long-term supply and employment trends within Virginia's healthcare workforce under status quo conditions and under various policy interventions. Includes information on recruitment and retention in rural areas throughout.
Additional links: Annex, Research Brief: Recommendations for Strengthening the Health Care Workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Author(s): Megan Andrew, Brian Briscombe, Raffaele Vardavas, et al.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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State Telehealth Laws and Reimbursement Policies Report, Fall 2023
Provides an overview of state telehealth policies as of early September 2023. Covers Medicaid reimbursement, private payer laws, and professional requirements.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Infographic, State Summary Chart
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Provides an overview of state telehealth policies as of early September 2023. Covers Medicaid reimbursement, private payer laws, and professional requirements.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Infographic, State Summary Chart
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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A Consensus Panel Approach to Estimating the Start-Up and Annual Service Costs for Rural Ambulance Agencies
Policy brief exploring the costs of running ambulance services for 3 population-based service tiers. Establishes a minimum access standard for ambulances servicing a 25-minute travel time from the ambulance station, and enables policymakers and community stakeholders to develop strategic plans for the financing and provision of ambulance services. Features statistics on number of calls, population ranges of service areas, and fixed, depreciation, variable, and administrative costs.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Gary Wingrove, Nikiah Nudell, Kevin McGinnis
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief exploring the costs of running ambulance services for 3 population-based service tiers. Establishes a minimum access standard for ambulances servicing a 25-minute travel time from the ambulance station, and enables policymakers and community stakeholders to develop strategic plans for the financing and provision of ambulance services. Features statistics on number of calls, population ranges of service areas, and fixed, depreciation, variable, and administrative costs.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Gary Wingrove, Nikiah Nudell, Kevin McGinnis
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Access to Maternity Providers: Midwives and Birth Centers
Provides an overview of the role of certified nurse-midwives and birth centers in Medicaid and how beneficiaries use these services. Describes policy issues and barriers to expanding access to midwives and birth centers, including payment policies; contracting with managed care organizations; licensure, certification, and accreditation; scope of practice; and limited supply. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Provides an overview of the role of certified nurse-midwives and birth centers in Medicaid and how beneficiaries use these services. Describes policy issues and barriers to expanding access to midwives and birth centers, including payment policies; contracting with managed care organizations; licensure, certification, and accreditation; scope of practice; and limited supply. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Indiana Oral Health Workforce Data Report: 2022
Provides information on the oral health workforce in Indiana, including total licenses, actively practicing dentists and dental hygienists, demographics and education of the workforce, employment and practice characteristics, geographic distribution of workforce by county, and more.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Mykayla Tobin, Chelsea Sparks, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Provides information on the oral health workforce in Indiana, including total licenses, actively practicing dentists and dental hygienists, demographics and education of the workforce, employment and practice characteristics, geographic distribution of workforce by county, and more.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Mykayla Tobin, Chelsea Sparks, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Characteristics of California's EMT and Paramedic Workforce
Provides an overview of the emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic workforce in California, including trends, estimated size, geographic distribution, employment and demographic characteristics, educational pipeline, and more. Provides county-level maps of actively certified EMTS to population ratios, actively licensed paramedics to population ratios, and EMT and paramedic training programs.
Author(s): Tim Bates, Janet Coffman
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
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Provides an overview of the emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic workforce in California, including trends, estimated size, geographic distribution, employment and demographic characteristics, educational pipeline, and more. Provides county-level maps of actively certified EMTS to population ratios, actively licensed paramedics to population ratios, and EMT and paramedic training programs.
Author(s): Tim Bates, Janet Coffman
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
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State-Based Recommendations to Support Rural Ambulance Agencies
Discusses challenges faced by rural ambulance agencies and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. Identifies state-based policy opportunities to support rural ambulance agencies. Covers EMS as an essential service, professional management, EMS zones, and standby costs.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Discusses challenges faced by rural ambulance agencies and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. Identifies state-based policy opportunities to support rural ambulance agencies. Covers EMS as an essential service, professional management, EMS zones, and standby costs.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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