Rural

Rural is a concept with many different definitions that encompass factors such as low population density, small population overall, and geographic isolation. The federal government, through the U.S. Census Bureau, the Office of Management and Budget, and the USDA’s Economic Research Service, maintains rural definitions that are used in determining eligibility for grant programs, conducting research to identify how rural needs differ from urban, and implementing policies and programs to address the challenges particular to rural communities. The Institute of Medicine’s 2005 report, Quality Through Collaboration: The Future of Rural Health Care, describes many of the health workforce challenges rural areas experience, including difficulty in recruiting and retaining health care professionals and an aging population with more chronic conditions and need for health services. The same IOM report identifies three main approaches that can be used to achieve an adequate and well-trained rural health workforce: recruiting rural students to enter the health professions; providing formal education programs in rural areas; and recruiting and retaining health professionals in rural areas.

Information on Rural:

• Resources (277)
• Organizations (104)
• Funding (41)
• Events (12)
• News (22)

• Defining the "Rural" in Rural America, 6/2008
• Quality Through Collaboration: The Future of Rural Health Care, 11/2004

Page last updated February 5, 2009