Strategies

Provide financial assistance to working parents, or parents attending school, to pay for child care

Involve consumers in health care governance via roles on governing boards, advisory committees, or shorter-term special projects

Expand incentives such as scholarships and loans with service requirements and loan repayment or forgiveness programs for health care providers who practice in rural or other underserved areas

Increase patients’ health-related knowledge via efforts to simplify health education materials, improve patient-provider communication, and increase overall literacy

Expand use of J-1 physician visa waivers for foreign national physicians who have trained in the U.S. and will serve patients in designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)

Provided work supports for low income individuals and families (e.g., job search assistance, transitional jobs, subsidized child care, health insurance, etc.); participants worked at least 30 hours/week

Expand medical school training and learning experiences focused on the skills necessary to practice successfully in rural areas