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

Abstract #66948

Caroline Ford, MPH¹, Patricia Charles, DrPH², Gerald Ackerman, MS, CHES², Wayne Myers, MD³, Michael Meit, MA, MPH⁴, Tom Curtin, MD⁵, and Gail R. Bellamy, PhD⁶. (1) Center for Education and Health Services Outreach, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Savitt Medical Building Rm 53 (150), Reno, NV 89557, 775 784-4841, cford@med.unr.edu, (2) School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Mail Stop 150, Reno, NV 89557, (3) National Rural Health Association, 1749 Finntown Rd, Waldoboro, ME 04572, (4) Center for Rural Health Practice, University of Pittsburgh, 300 Campus Dr., Bradford, PA 16701, (5) VP & Director of Clinical Affairs, National Association of Community Health Centers, 7200 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 210, Bethesda, MD 20814, (6) Director of Community Studies, West Virginia Institute for Health Policy Research, 3110 MacCorkle SE, Charleston, WV 25304

Delivering Quality Health Care in Rural America: Workforce Development Challenges

Caroline Ford, MPH, Patty Charles, DrPH, MPH and Gerald Ackerman, MPH, CHES

Choosing to live in a rural community has benefits and risks; individuals and families make compromises regarding access to health care services and the availability of quality health care professionals. Rural people have the right to health services comparable with those of their urban counterparts, but must address certain realities associated with an isolated health care system. Over the past 40 years tremendous strides have been made in addressing the health care needs of rural America. Improvements have been realized in the availability of services, quality of care, existence of emergency medical systems, and communication capacity.

The health workforce is at the heart of the rural health care system. The workforce includes the team of health professionals and paraprofessionals on the spectrum from those who work full-time for compensation to those who volunteer as a community service. The presence of health care professionals triggers a multiplier effect of support personnel who are employed as a result of available health services. Rural health services therefore typically represent the most significant economic provider in a community, serving as a major employer and contributor to the circulation of payroll dollars.

This presentation will address the challenge of providing quality health care to people in rural communities. We will focus on the development, supply and distribution of the rural health care workforce. The presenters will cover the issues of assessing rural health care delivery needs, recruiting and preparing new health professionals for rural service, providing resources for care, addressing reimbursement, accessing continuing education, and building the capacity of rural communities to evaluate services.

We will review rural outreach experiences over the past 20 years that have contributed to building the workforce capacity in one state. By the end of the presentation, the participant will be able to: List factors that contribute to the supply and distribution of rural health professionals; Discuss assessment methods that help appropriately forecast the need for health professionals in rural communities; Describe attributes of communities that contribute to the successful recruitment of health professionals, including volunteers; Sketch a plan for utilizing health care outcomes data and evaluation information to continuously plan for service improvement.

The presenters will use slides/overheads to cover their points; will provide a handout of key issues in rural workforce development and maintenance; and will encourage audience discussion and questions regarding the health care needs of people choosing a rural lifestyle.

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of the presentation, the participant will be able to:
• List factors that contribute to the supply and distribution of rural health professionals;
• Discuss assessment methods that help appropriately forecast the need for health professionals in rural communities;
• Describe attributes of communities that contribute to the successful recruitment of health professionals, including volunteers;
• Sketch a plan for utilizing health care outcomes data and evaluation information to continuously plan for service improvement.

Keywords: Rural Health Service Providers, Community Health Planning

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.