Regional health education centers help rural communities recruit and keep health providers

Many states have federally funded regional centers to help rural communities attract and keep health-care providers, by acclimating them to the surroundings. Kentucky has had such a system for 30 years, and it does many things, including working with middle- and high-school students to encourage them to pursue health careers, reports Tara Kaprowy of Kentucky Health News.

While officials say it's hard to credit the centers with specific numbers, "partly because many students are now required to do rural rotations," there is strong anecdotal evidence, Kaprowy writes.