The Rural Health and Primary Care section includes the Primary Care Office, the State Office of Rural Health, the Oral Health program and Workforce Development. Access to doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers is a challenge for residents of some communities in New Hampshire. The mission of these programs is to improve access to healthcare services throughout NH particularly for those residents without commercial insurance.

Primary Care

The Primary Care Office (PCO) works with other NH partners statewide to improve access to quality health care services especially for uninsured residents. Among the agencies and programs supported with these funds are: community health centers and the identification of medically underserved areas.

Rural Health Care

The State Office of Rural Health (SORH) offers technical assistance to rural health care providers and organizations and provides healthcare-related information to rural healthcare stakeholders. SORH serves as a liaison between rural healthcare organizations and many DHHS programs. It also includes the Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, which supports the Critical Access Hospitals in New Hampshire.

Oral Health

The Oral Health Program works to achieve improvements in oral health outcomes by improving access to dental care in cooperation with NH's Medicaid program, private foundations, dental professionals and community organizations.

Workforce Development

Workforce Development works with each of the above program areas to increase or retain the supply of health professionals serving New Hampshire. There is a particular focus on those professionals whose service will meet the needs of rural and underserved populations. Workforce Development administers New Hampshire's:

• State Loan Repayment Program
• J-1 Visa Waiver Program
• Clinician recruitment and retention efforts through the Clinician Recruitment Center Contract.