In the US, some health systems and emergency medical services agencies are leveraging the versatility and experience of community paramedics to meet needs for COVID-19 testing, care, and vaccination. This report describes models of community paramedic practice that have been utilized in the US during the pandemic and discusses changes in law and regulation that…
Health care workers in long-term care (LTC) settings often face financial security concerns due to low wages, inconsistent hours, and lack of benefits. As a result, there are higher rates of LTC workers who hold multiple jobs, which can increase workers’ exposure to COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is an especially serious threat to the frail elderly,…
Positive transition to practice experiences for nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are important for reducing turnover and maintaining continuity of care for patients. Onboarding programs are an important element of transition to practice experiences, but little is known about what specifically makes certain onboarding programs successful and why. This brief describes a study…
Many post-baccalaureate programs provide a way for underrepresented and disadvantaged students to improve their applications for medical education programs after graduating from college. These programs have changed significantly over the years and more research is needed to understand this evolution. This report describes a study that examined information about post-baccalaureate programs for dental schools and…
Implicit bias of healthcare providers often influences patient care. Bias awareness is a key element included in implicit bias education and can help motivate behavior change. This article discusses a study that evaluated whether exposure to a brief online course on implicit bias increased bias awareness for health providers.
With the graduation of more females from dental school, the dental profession is becoming more gender diverse. This study, conducted by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC), builds on previous work on gender diversity in dentistry. Researchers used data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey (ACS) to evaluate the impact of dentists’ personal characteristics…
Studies have shown that integrated behavioral health (IBH) is an important model for reducing costs and improving patient outcomes, but issues with financing this method of care have mitigated implementation efforts. Psychiatric collaborative care management (CoCM) and behavioral health integration (BHI) codes allow for the financing of certain IBH services. This brief describes a study…
Background checks are intended to ensure a quality workforce, but they may also exclude qualified workers. Though these background checks may appear straightforward, they rely on information from a variety of sources, and are governed by a complex regulatory environment. Various laws, industry norms, and court precedents shape what background information is gathered and/or maintained….
According to the March of Dimes, a “maternity care desert” is “a county in which access to maternity health care services is limited or absent, either through lack of services or barriers to a woman’s ability to access that care.” Counties that are considered “limited access” or “deserts” have either limited or no access to…
Community health centers (CHCs) are the cornerstone of primary care for 29 million people, most of whom are low-income, underserved, and live in rural populations. Until 2016, CHCs reported community health workers (CHWs) as part of their overall enabling services workforce, making it difficult to report CHW use in the annual Uniform Data System (UDS)….
