Rural Health Workforce

The purpose of the Rural Health Workforce Development Program is to support the development of rural health networks that focus on activities relating to the recruitment and retention of primary and allied health care providers in rural communities. This Program will provide support to established and sustainable rural health networks that can develop innovative community-based educational and clinical health training programs to encourage the recruitment and retention of emerging health professionals (students and residents) in rural communities to train and eventually practice. Networks develop from ongoing collaborative relationships between health care organizations and accredited health care workforce training organizations (institutions). These networks can emphasize using community-based training opportunities to interest students and/or residents in rural health practice. Networks funded by this program can focus on a variety of different training program models and activities including the development of a training program, providing support to students/residents for housing and transportation and the payment of a preceptor. This can, in turn, help reduce recruitment costs, creating a potential revenue stream for continuing the network after Federal funding. Achieving the above will fundamentally lead to strengthening the rural health care delivery system. The program's goals are as follows. Providing students and residents training opportunities and experiences within culturally competent, community focused rural settings, which will build and reinforce ties within these rural communities; Improving the viability of the network partners by enhancing recruitment and retention of needed health care professionals within their rural communities; Identifying innovative approaches for using a network model to train health care professionals in rural community-based clinical settings; Providing an opportunity for students/residents to become involved in community activities so that they become engaged in the community; and/or Establishing viable rural health networks within the community that can serve as an ongoing vehicle for addressing workforce challenges. Workforce and rural recruitment and retention are a critical component of the 2010 President's Rural Initiative. As part of the Initiative, the Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) created the Rural Health Workforce Development Program. The Workforce Development Program supports HRSA's goals of improving access and quality of health care, improving health outcomes, and improving public health and health care systems. The Program also supports HHS goals to improve the quality, affordability, and accessibility of health care and to promote the economic and social well-being of individuals, families, and communities.