Statement of the Problem: Health care reform (HCR) provides an opportunity to improve health care access and quality for rural Americans. Because HCR is evolving quickly, there is need to understand the rural implications of proposed and newly-enacted legislation in "real time".

Goal: In consultation with ORHP, other Rural Health Research Centers (RHRCs) and rural health care experts, this project will conduct a range of HCR-related policy analyses, concentrating on the rural health care workforce, access to care, and health care quality.

Methods: This project will employ mixed methods techniques synthesizing findings from review of the scientific literature, qualitative and quantitative assessment. The methodology used for each "rapid turnaround" study will reflect the needs of the particular project. Potential topics may include, but are not limited to, the production of rural-oriented Policy Briefs on: 1) International Medical Graduates; 2) Funding for Graduate Medical Education; 3) Title VII and Title VIII funding; 4) Loan Repayment Programs; 5) Federally-qualified Health Centers; 6) Workforce Projections; and 7) Health Professional Shortage Areas/Persistent Poverty Counties and Health-Care Sensitive Health Outcomes.

Publications

• Persistent Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Health Care Access in Rural America
  Policy Brief
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2009
  This policy brief finds that resources are needed to increase and sustain the number of primary care providers and reduce financial barriers to care in all rural primary care health professional shortage areas.