Rural workforce gaps do not always show up as vacancies. In many specialties the physician is still there, but the flexibility is not. This report examines rural physician capacity specialty-by-specialty, helping you decide where your resources will make the most impact.
The coverage model rural leaders trust most is not the one they use
Locum tenens drew the strongest short-term viability rating of any coverage model in the study. But when a consequential vacancy opened up, this solution ranked fourth in what organizations reached for, behind physician-plus-APP teams, internal cross-coverage and APP-led care. 
Only 19% of those vacancies had a contingency plan in place beforehand. Without one, organizations used whatever capacity was already in the building, including internal cross-coverage, which drew far more resistance as a coverage model.
This report examines that disparity, and what it looks like when that plan is made ahead of time.
Who is this report for?
- Rural hospital leaders and clinic executives planning ahead for staffing across specialties
- Chief medical officers and clinical leaders evaluating coverage vs. capacity
- In-house physician recruiters and managers deciding where to focus their resources
Three things you can use immediately
See which of your open specialties to protect, grow or cover differently. Get the full report free, including the complete Rural Specialty Priority Map and all eight sections.
