WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

09/30/2026

We're excited to share a new open-access publication in the Journal of Rural Health authored by researchers at the University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies and the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center.

Using nationally representative physician survey data, the study examined access to behavioral health resources and referral supports across rural and urban practice settings.

The study found that: • Less than half of physicians reported access to licensed mental health providers.
• Only about 1 in 4 physicians felt patients had sufficient access to behavioral health services upon referral.
• While rural physicians were more likely to report referral relationships with accessible mental health providers, perceived adequacy of access was low across both rural and urban settings.

The findings suggest that behavioral health workforce and infrastructure challenges are not limited to rural communities. Strengthening referral networks, telehealth supports, and integration of behavioral health services may benefit patients across geographic settings.

Read the open-access article: https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.70226

Purpose Rural communities face persistent shortages of behavioral health clinicians, requiring primary care physicians to assume expanded mental health care roles. Our study assessed physicians’ acc...

09/10/2026

Want to hear inspiring rural health wins? Join us on September 15 for CDC’s “Rural Public Health Success Stories from the Field” webinar to learn how Utah is making a difference in rural healthcare and local economies. Sign up: https://bit.ly/3Stss1q

07/28/2026

📢 New publication: "Recruiting Rural Patients for Clinical Research: Lessons from a Colorectal Cancer Screening Trial"

Rural populations remain underrepresented in clinical research, creating challenges for developing evidence-based interventions that meet the needs of rural communities. In new article, we share lessons learned from recruiting participants into the Colonoscopy Outreach for Rural Communities (CORC) study, a randomized controlled trial testing a remotely delivered patient navigation program to increase colorectal cancer screening among rural and underserved patients.

Key findings:
✅ Partnerships with rural primary care organizations were highly effective for reaching rural patients
✅ Urban-based primary care partners also played an important role in recruiting rural residents
✅ Tailored, community-centered recruitment strategies can help increase rural representation in clinical research

🔗 https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.70189

Congratulations to the WWAMI RHRC and UW Dept of Family Medicine Affiliated Researchers: Gina Keppel, Brooke Ike, Holly Andrilla, and Allison Cole who worked in collaboration with the WWAMI Practice and Research Network on this study!

Purpose The Colonoscopy Outreach for Rural Communities (CORC) study is a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a remotely-delivered patient navigation program to increase colonosc...

07/21/2026

New Journal Article

Trends in Rural and Urban Family Physician Teaching of Health Professions Students and Residents

In a new Family Medicine article from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, we found that more rural early career family physicians taught premedical students, medical students, and advanced practice professional students than their urban counterparts. We also found that resident teaching among rural physicians increased between 2016 and 2023. At the same time, teaching of advanced practice professional students declined over the study period in both rural and urban areas.
Because clinical training locations are closely tied to where clinicians eventually practice, understanding and addressing these trends will be important for building and sustaining the rural health workforce.

Full Article Link: https://doi.org/10.22454/FamMed.2026.266557

07/16/2026

A major Medicare policy change took effect in January 2024, allowing marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) to independently bill Medicare for mental health services.
To better understand the impact of this change, our team recently published two studies in The Journal of Rural Health.

📊 One study examined national workforce data from April 2022 through October 2024 to assess early changes in MFT and MHC participation and distribution following implementation of the policy.

🗣️ The second study explored perspectives from leaders of rural health systems and mental health organizations on how Medicare reimbursement for MFTs and MHCs could affect workforce recruitment, retention, and access to care.

Together, these studies offer both data and on-the-ground perspectives on what this policy change may mean for rural mental health services.

🔗 📊 https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.70180
🔗 🗣️ https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.70162

07/08/2026

Excited to share our new publication in the Journal of Substance Abuse and Addiction Treatment:

"Methadone treatment in the rural and urban United States: Geographic barriers and regional variations in Medicare-enrolled opioid treatment program availability."
🔗 https://bit.ly/4beaNRz

In this study with collaborators from the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center and the UW Department of Family Medicine, we examined the availability of Medicare-enrolled opioid treatment programs (OTPs) across the United States and found substantial rural-urban disparities in access to methadone treatment. While 46.0% of urban counties had a Medicare-enrolled OTP, only 6.9% of rural counties did. We also identified important regional differences in OTP availability, with some areas of the country experiencing particularly limited access.

These findings highlight ongoing barriers to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder, especially for Medicare beneficiaries and others living in rural communities. Expanding methadone access through innovative models, including primary care prescribing and pharmacy dispensing, may help address these disparities.

07/07/2026

🎉 Excited to share our newest open-access publication in the Journal of Rural Health!
"Early Evidence of Geographic Variation in Medicare Participation Among Newly Eligible Mental Health Providers Following the 2024 Coverage Expansion."
In this study, we examined early changes in Medicare participation among marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and mental health counselors (MHCs) following the 2024 expansion of Medicare coverage. We found substantial growth in Medicare participation among these providers, with particularly strong gains in rural communities. At the same time, many rural counties still lack adequate provider availability, highlighting the need for additional strategies to improve access to mental health care.
🔗 Article: https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.70180

Purpose To assess changes in marriage and family therapist (MFT) and mental health counselor (MHC) workforce distribution from April 2022 to October 2024, evaluating early impacts of Medicare's cove...

06/29/2026

If you’ve ever tried to find county-level health workforce data, you know how limited it can be.

We’re excited to share a new resource: State Health Workforce Data Briefs focused on behavioral health, primary care, and obstetrical care.

Each brief provides county-level data on key health professions, offering a detailed look at workforce distribution across all 50 U.S. states.

The briefs include data on:
• Behavioral health: psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, social workers, and counselors
• Primary care: family physicians, internists, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants
• Obstetrical care: obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, and midwives

These briefs are designed to support community organizations, policymakers, and planners working to improve access to care or better understand workforce challenges in their areas.

We hope this resource helps support more data-informed decision-making across communities.

👉 Explore the briefs and find county-level data for your state:
Behavioral Health: https://bit.ly/4eMNgrY
Primary Care: https://bit.ly/444ybwX
Obstetrical Care: https://bit.ly/3R5uR1I

06/24/2026

Excited to share our latest policy brief: “Expanding and Sustaining Rural Clinical Education: Perspectives from Health Professions Education Leaders.”

Rural clinical education plays a critical role in strengthening the future rural health workforce. In this policy brief, we explored the perspectives of 21 rural health care education leaders on the challenges and emerging strategies to support and expand rural clinical education.

Our key findings included:
- Demand for rural clinical education placements is outpacing capacity, leading to increased competition for limited placements
- Education programs with strong community ties may be more successful in finding rural clinical education placements
- Leaders highlighted potential policy solutions, including student stipends, tax credits for preceptors, legislative protections for mentorship slots, and productivity-based incentives.

👉 Read more in the full policy brief here: https://bit.ly/4oPqTa6

06/15/2026

ICYMI, we’re presenting a webinar this Wednesday on the Rural Health Research Gateway: A Tour of the Youth Behavioral Health Services Landscape

🗓 June 17 | ⏰ 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET
🔗Register: https://ow.ly/Yi5q50Z6iRc