There is greater general recognition of the linkages between physical disease and oral pathology. This has resulted in calls for medical professionals to incorporate oral health assessment, counseling, and early intervention into their routine clinical activities. However, actualization of the integration of oral health services in medical practice is difficult, due to the siloed structure…
Demand for dental residency and dental student externship opportunities has grown in recent years, driven by the economy for dental employment and the desire of students for increased market competitiveness. In addition to specialty residencies, some states now also require that general dentists complete a year of advanced education in general dentistry before licensure. The…
This report compares national estimates of the supply and characteristics of 9 types of allied health workers drawn from 4 publicly available national data sources: the American Community Survey (ACS), the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), and the National Provider Identifier (NPI) Registry. The 9 occupations (or occupation groups) examined are…
Despite initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels, the underrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanic/Latinos (H/L), and American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) among dentists persists. Improving workforce diversity promotes social justice and also increases access, health equity, and health care quality, particularly for minority populations. This article quantifies the shortage of underrepresented minority (URM) dentists and their…
Most states that collect health workforce supply data follow Minimum Data Set (MDS) guidelines on the questions they ask. However, some states collect additional data on their health workforce. This brief summarizes state health workforce data collection efforts that go beyond the MDS.
Mobile integrated healthcare-community paramedicine (MIH-CP) is a new model of care that allows for a broader range of services in the community than more traditional emergency responses that often involve transporting patients to emergency departments. There is growing but limited evidence that suggests MIH-CP has potential to improve outcomes for patients needing long-term care (LTC)….
The Institute of Medicine has called for an increase in the diversity of the registered nurse (RN) workforce as well as an increase in the percentage of registered nurses who have a baccalaureate degree. A prior study has indicated that 33% of registered nurses who transitioned from licensed practical nurses (LPNs) between 2001 and 2013…
HWTAC is conducting an ongoing survey of states to learn more about their health workforce data collection and analysis efforts. This report describes findings to date from the 2016 survey, and includes information about data collection on health workforce supply and demand, and the educational pipeline in specific US states.
The provision of care for rural and geographically isolated, vulnerable populations presents substantial challenges for the behavioral health workforce related to its supply and retention of clinicians. This issue is a barrier to providing accessible services to those most in need. This policy brief assesses behavioral health workforce supply and need, barriers to recruiting and…
Balancing the disequilibrium between the demand for mental health and substance use disorder services and the supply of qualified behavioral health professionals compels an examination of the billing and reimbursement practices and payer policies impacting behavioral health service access. One strategy to enhance workforce capacity is to ensure that behavioral health professionals can receive reimbursement…
