Purpose: The prevalence of diabetes among Hispanics in Washington State is 30% greater than it is for non-Hispanic whites. Hispanics also have higher rates of diabetes-related complications and mortality due to the disease. Although interventions have been developed for the Hispanic community, studies in rural settings are limited. To address this…

Context: Little is known about rural women's knowledge about osteoporosis. Purpose: To explore what women from high-prevalence rural communities know about osteoporosis and to assess their learning preferences. Methods: We surveyed 437 women in rural Washington and Oregon. Findings: The response rate was 93% (N = 406). The mean age of respondents…

Context: The physician assistant profession has been moving toward requiring master's degrees for new practitioners, but some argue this could change the face of the discipline. Purpose: To see if there is an association between physician assistants' academic degrees and practice in primary care, in rural areas, and with the medically underserved.…

Context: Ensuring an adequate mental health provider supply in rural and urban areas requires accessible methods of identifying provider types, practice locations, and practice productivity. Purpose: To identify mental health shortage areas using existing licensing and survey data. Methods: The 1998-1999 Washington State Department of Health files…