Community colleges educate a significant portion of the nation’s allied health workforce. Because many rural areas face shortages of allied health professionals, this study’s purpose was to describe where community college allied health education programs (of those most relevant to rural health care delivery) were located in relation to rural populations and small rural hospitals. Using data from the Federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, U.S. Census, the Flex Monitoring Team, and the American Hospital Association, the locations of community college programs for 18 allied health occupations were analyzed in relation to rural populations and small rural hospitals across the United States.
The majority (62%) of people completing education in one of the 18 selected allied health occupations in 2007-08 did so at a community college. Overall, 73% of the U.S. rural population resided within a 60-minute drive to any community college with at least one of the selected allied health professions, compared with 99% of urban populations. Access varied by geographic region and occupation.
Many rural communities have limited access to a local community college source of education for allied health occupations. This is likely to be a barrier to recruiting, training, and retaining the health care workforce these communities need. Rural communities and policymakers can use these findings to help identify strategies to alleviate allied health workforce shortages.
For the full brief and report, please click on the following links.
Contact information:
Susan Skillman, MS
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Phone: 206-543-3557
skillman@uw.edu
Additional Resource of Interest:
More information about the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Susan Skillman, MS
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Phone: 206-543-3557
skillman@uw.edu
Additional Resource of Interest:
More information about the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
