California’s rural communities face persistent shortages of primary care clinicians, including physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), and physician associates (PAs). This threatens access to preventive services, chronic disease management, and timely treatment for millions of residents. Recruitment and retention challenges are driven by a combination of educational, regulatory, financial, personal and professional support, and health system and infrastructure factors. Strengthening recruitment and retention of California’s rural primary care workforce is therefore vital to improving the lives of millions of rural Californians and reducing the growing burden on our health care system overall. This issue brief examines the factors contributing to recruitment and retention challenges and highlights evidence-based solutions to strengthen California’s rural primary care workforce.
