The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #63927

Joy Shepherd, MPH, CHES, Delta Area Health Education Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, PO Box 729, Helena, AR 72342, 870-388-9100, shepherdjoyb@uams.edu and Holly Felix, MPA, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 5800 West 10th Street, Suite 410, Little Rock, AR 72204.

Recruitment of health care providers to rural areas is often hampered by community characteristics such as poor housing stock, limited entertainment and recreational opportunities, and deficient educational systems. Often private, fee-for-service recruitment firms are employed to seek candidates for primary care provider positions in rural areas. These firms can be cost-prohibitive for rural communities, small practices, and struggling hospitals. To address these deficiencies with traditional efforts, the Arkansas Southern Rural Access Program developed a targeted strategy that couples traditional recruitment efforts with local community development. A regional recruiter assists communities, hospitals, and non-profit health care facilities with the search for potential candidates while also working with residents to enhance their local community characteristics. Cross County Arkansas has become a model for this strategy where the regional recruiter has helped build community coalitions to prioritize health issues, developed successful grant proposals, and mobilized citizens to become advocates for health improvement in their county. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the key barriers to recruitment of health care providers to rural areas and to describe an innovative approach applicable in rural areas.

Learning Objectives:

• List key barriers to recruitment of health care providers in rural areas
• Describe the regional recruitment strategy employed by the Arkansas Southern Rural Access Program.

Keywords: Rural Health Care, Community Building

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.