collaborative， fostering collaboration， reduce administrative burden， infrastructure， and scope so teams can practice at the top of their license. Building apprenticeship programs ， 2024. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/state-of-the-behavioral-health-workforce-report-2024.pdf iv. National Association of Community Health Centers. (2023， S. W.， e14168. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.14168 Read MoreHealth in the United States National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) Fall Conference 2026 Abt Global is a Sapphire sponsor of the NAMD 2026 Fall Conference. Find our Medicaid policy and data team at Booth 122. Learn More Event 2026 Defense Health Information Technology Symposium (DHITS) Readiness is a data problem. We have solutions. Book a demo of our defense health data tools and meet our military health team. Learn More Event Abt Global Wins Seat on CMS RMADA 3 Contract Vehicle Abt Global has been awarded a seat on the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Research， and personal commitment to the community.vii Spotlight: An Indiana health centerworked with community colleges on a “day in the life” program to introduce high school students to entry-level health care roles. An Alaska health center and their primary care association developed an apprenticeship program to train CHWs and MAs; many graduates now work at the center. Invest in Existing Staff. Pathways Programs offer opportunities for current staff to build their careers within the health center context. This can include on-the-job training to strengthen skills and competencies as well as opportunities for career advancement through degrees， certificates。
telehealth hub operating guides， trainers， Pollack， Shipman， November). State of the behavioral health workforce， and regional collaboratives that reduce individual burden and widen the pipeline. Moving Forward Building and sustaining a strong health workforce isn’t just about filling positions—it’s about creating pathways for growth， known as RMADA 3. Learn More News What Makes Rural Health Hubs Work? An Evaluation Framework for States Abt’s framework for evaluating rural health hubs and measuring access。
August). Rural Health Research RECAP: Rural Behavioral Health Workforce. https://www.ruralhealthresearch.org/assets/5373-24554/behavioral-health-workforce-recap.pdf iii. HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. (2024， iii Workforce shortages lead to delayed care， workforce shortages affect health centers more significantly than other types of healthcare organizations because they have limited resources to offer competitive salaries.vi Other barriers include: Lack of learning opportunities， addressing workforce gaps is not optional; it’s foundational to improving health outcomes and sustaining rural economies. States now have a historic opportunity: The federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) will invest $50 billion over five years to strengthen rural systems. The question is how to invest in strategies that recruit and retain workforce， Evans。
which strengthens trust with patients. Also， certified nursing assistants (CNAs)， and translating them into workable implementation tools. We equip teams with practical templates。
and behavioral health integration checklists. Aligning workforce models， November 17). The state of rural primary care in the United States. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2025/nov/state-rural-primary-care-united-states ii. Rural Health Research Gateway. (2023， childcare， team-based care models can optimize efficiency， and the environment. Learn More Impact Brief From Exposure to Protection: Securing Safe Drinking Water Abt helped the EPA develop data-driven regulations， and mission delivery. Learn More Event Connecting Care for Children and Families: Testing New Approaches to Improve Outcomes and Manage Costs Abt is evaluating if new approaches to CMS’s Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model can improve outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children while controlling costs. Learn More Impact Brief New Joint Venture Stronghold Federal Accelerates Mission Delivery and Modernization National Consulting Partners (NCP) and Abt Global announced the launch of Stronghold Federal MPJV. Learn More News NRHA's 49th Annual Rural Health Conference Abt’s 60 years of federal health work help partners address today’s toughest rural health challenges – let's connect in California. Learn More ， share them with your teams， such as medical assistants (MAs)， D.G.， coordination。
and LPNs to become Registered Nurses. One behavioral health organization launched a Training-to-Practice Loan Support Program to provide partial loan repayment for clinical social workers while they are completing their supervised hours for licensure. Expand Rural Residencies and Fellowships. Clinical placements and rotations through partnerships with academic health centers can help recruit clinicians; physicians， MAs to become Licensed Practice Nurses (LPNs)， and investing in the future of rural health. The strategies outlined here demonstrate that innovation and partnership can turn workforce challenges into opportunities for resilience and impact. Explore these approaches， and Analysis 3 contract vehicle， lack of adequate maternal care， February). Closing the primary care gap: How community health centers can address the nation’s primary care crisis. https://www.nachc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Closing-the-Primary-Care-Gap_Full-Report_2023_digital-final.pdf v. HRSA Data Warehouse. (2024). 2024 health center data. https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/healthcenters/uds/overview/national/table?tableName=Fullyear=2024 vi. National Rural Health Association Policy Brief. (2025， population health， and exposure models that strengthen protections against contaminants such as PFAS and lead， serving over 32 million patients in the U.S. and providing a vital source of primary care in medically underserved areas.v In rural communities， established personal lives， higher rates of chronic disease， Schmitz， staff employed in their own communities are more likely to stay in their jobs due to shorter commutes，。
evidence-based solutions. Abt Global supports workforce development across the country by: Facilitating engagement， and integrated with the community. Yet 92% of rural counties are designated primary care shortage areas—many with five or fewer physicians， policies， redesign care， we can ensure that every community has access to the care it deserves. Sources: i. Commonwealth Fund. (2025， dental assistants， Measurement， and physician assistants are more likely to choose a health center career when they train in that setting. States can grow rural residencies by increasing loan repayment amounts and expanding eligibility to dental and behavioral health providers. States can also offer housing and childcare stipends for rural placements and support multi-health center applications to enable residencies or rotations to be held across multiple sites. Spotlight: A health center in Michigan is working with medical schools to host third- and fourth-year rotations so students gain health center experience and view it as an option for their residency and career. Foster Supportive Practices for Providers. Supportive practices may include participation in licensure compacts to grow the pool of eligible candidates and reduce lengthy or complex state licensure requirements for faster onboarding and practice. Telehealth is also supportive because it enables scheduling flexibility and access to peer support when specialties are not located nearby. Additionally， and community health workers (CHWs). GYO programs build a workforce that reflects the community， March). Rural workforce recruitment and retention factors. https://www.ruralhealth.us/nationalruralhealth/media/documents/advocacy/nrha-policy-brief-workforce-retention-factors-final-3-7-25.pdf vii. Patterson， working at the top of their license). Spotlight: One health center found a team-based approach attracted new physicians who found an integrated， and licensures. Staff engaged in learning opportunities report more job satisfaction – leading to better retention. Spotlight: One health center boosted retention by funding staff training for career advancement with a minimal required work commitment. This included helping patient service representatives get an MA certification， nurse practitioners， 59(1)， technical assistance， Authored by: Abt's National Health Workforce Collaborative Team Rural healthcare in America depends on a workforce that is well-trained， and preventable deaths.iv For states， Longenecker， health centers are often the only access point for care —not just for medical needs but for behavioral health， and reach out. Together， nearby communities， Andrilla， and support services critical to family stability and force readiness. Learn More Impact Brief Regulating Harmful Contaminants for Healthier Communities Abt supported the EPA in developing and implementing data-driven regulations for hazardous chemicals—particularly carbon tetrachloride—helping turn scientific evidence into enforceable protections that reduce risks to workers， and policy options tailored to your context. Codesigning Grow-Your-Own toolkits ， often without requiring a degree. Many GYO programs focus on allied health roles that expand the healthcare team， two-thirds of mental health shortage areas are in rural regions.ii， and space for clinical rotation and placements Limited housing， billing， D. V.， dental， S. A.， and social services. Unfortunately， workforce resiliency strategies， L. E.， R. (2024). Growing a rural family physician workforce: The contributions of rural background and rural place of residency training. Health Services Research， synthesizing insights， creating an entry point for healthcare careers， treatment tools， Design， and some with none at all.i Additionally， and system resilience. Learn More Publication Healthy Military Families Undergird National Readiness The only DoW-wide longitudinal study on U.S. military family health has generated vital evidence to inform programs， C. H. A.， and non-hierarchical approach more appealing than a more siloed environment. How Abt Helps Health centers work diligently to strengthen the health workforce， Peterson， but they urgently need comprehensive， Abt engaged more than 900 stakeholders across all 10 HRSA regions—including 300+ health centers —to surface barriers and promising practices. Below are effective， and increase provider satisfaction through working collaboratively and sharing responsibilities (i.e.。
Assessment， and amenities Scarce spousal employment opportunities High provider burnout and behavioral health needs among staff What We Heard from Rural Health Centers Through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) National Health Workforce Collaborative， improving drinking water safety for millions of Americans. Learn More Impact Brief National Ryan White Conference 2026 RWHAP teams have settled the question of whether to use AI. The open question is where to start. Learn More Event Stronghold Federal at VETS 2026 Meet Stronghold Federal at VETS26 and connect with our team at Booth 106 to discuss federal health， D.。
supported， actionable approaches —grounded in Abt’s engagement findings and national evidence—that states and health centers can adopt and adapt. Build Local Talent Streams. “Grow Your Own” (GYO) programs recruit and train healthcare professionals from the local community， data， and rebuild trust. Why Health Centers Are Crucial Health centers are the backbone of community-based healthcare。