Community APGAR Program Boise State University Center for Health Policy

Community factors play a key role in the recruitment and retention of physicians to rural and underserved healthcare settings. The Community Apgar Program (CAP) developed by researchers, educators and clinicians at Boise State University and the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho helps to organize these community factors for action. 
 
The goals of the CAP are to:

1. Identify individual community strengths and unique opportunities for improvement in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) related to recruiting and retaining physicians.
2. Understand state or regional patterns impacting physician supply which can be addressed at the macro level.
3. Create a shared national database to facilitate broader understanding of important issues related to physician recruitment and retention to rural and underserved areas.