Strategies for recruiting physicians to rural Kentucky communities are presented in broad outlines that would also be applicable to other rural communities looking for physicians. After documenting the shortage and maldistribution of physicians in rural America, the factors are described which influence a physician's choice of place to locate--his or her background, professional considerations, community resources. Five steps in the recruitment effort are detailed: committee formation, community assessment, locating physicians (names and addresses of journals and agencies to contact plus sample ads), recruiting (including how to assess costs), and retaining physicians. Two sections deal with information that should be covered in interviews and with pros and cons of employing a search firm. Successes by small Kentucky towns of Morehead and Madisonville in securing high quality medical care are covered, and finally, the alternative health care system using paramedical personnel is briefly mentioned, with the example of Hope Medical Center in Estancia, N.M. The appendix contains two maps of Kentucky showing critical medical shortage areas and the distribution of physicians by speciality. (RS)