Dr. Who? Providing stability to recruiting and retaining health care professionals in West Virginia.

Primary care physicians comprise less than 15% of the United States outpatient work force, yet they perform 23% of the visits that Americans make to their physicians each year. In rural areas, an even greater proportion or about 42% of these visits are to family physician's offices. The country's rural areas have been medically underserved for decades. United States census data has determined that about 21% of the United States population lives in rural areas. Sparse population, extreme poverty, high proportions of racial and ethnic minorities and lack of cultural amenities characterize rural communities most likely to suffer from a shortage of physicians. This persistent, intractable shortage of physicians in rural communities means that many communities struggle continuously to recruit and retain physicians. The Division of Rural Health and Recruitment, located within the Office of Community Health Systems and Health Promotion, Bureau for Public Health, works diligently to alleviate some of those shortages and to strengthen the health care safety net in West Virginia. The Division of Rural Health and Recruitment utilizes the most up-to-date and relevant provider recruitment and retention strategies available.