Evaluating rural healthcare workforce programs: Applying modified whole-of-person retention improvement framework in VHA programs.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Healthcare workforce shortages are acute in rural areas. Using a holistic workforce retention framework, we examined evidence and identified gaps in recruitment and retention programs, using the Veterans Health Administration as a case study.

Methods

Rural workforce recruitment and retention initiatives were identified using VHA's 2023 Rural Recruitment and Hiring plan, and classified by rural focus, recruitment or retention, and strength of evidence. Initiatives were then mapped to a modified whole-of-person retention improvement framework (WoP-RIF) to assess coverage of domains: workplace/organizational, role/career, community/place, and financial.

Findings

Of 31 VHA initiatives, 19% exclusively focused on the rural workforce, 35% included rural, and 45% had

SUBMITTER: Longacre MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12818098 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature