Plan now to attend the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration's national meeting on the future of Primary Care Workforce in rural and urban America, to be held August 10-12, 2009 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Working in support of the availability of a viable primary care workforce for underserved communities is an important priority for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Demand for primary care services will continue to increase, especially when considering calls for an overhaul of the national health care system and the increased needs of the many that in recent months have become unemployed and lost insurance benefits. In addition, there are still serious problems with the unequal distribution of health care professionals to rural and inner city urban areas. Many inner-city and rural communities continue to struggle to recruit and retain an adequate number of primary care health professionals to provide high-quality care.

• To provide a forum for discussion to generate new and innovative ideas about primary care workforce issues and potential solutions for rural and urban underserved communities.
• To bring together stakeholders to share best practices and strategies for future action.
• To emphasize HRSA's role as the lead agency on Health Workforce in the Department of Health and Human Services.