September 21, 2001

HRSA Report Examines Health Workforce in Ten States

A report, Health Care Workforce in Ten States: Education, Practice and Policy, released by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Sept. 19 concludes that many Americans are unable to obtain quality affordable health care because their communities lack the right mix of health care providers. The study, commissioned by the National Council of State Legislatures, assesses how a variety of workforce issues impact health care accessibility in a set of representative states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The study urges states to evaluate a variety of issues that affect access to care, particularly in underserved areas, including: how states organize and pay for health care; the impact of investing in primary care education; and the importance of high retention rates for those physicians trained in-state. Free copies may be ordered from the HRSA Information Center at 1-888-ASK-HRSA.