PFB2 - State and Federal Programs Supporting the Start-Up and Sustainability of Teaching Health Centers

Session Description: Health care workforce projections show worsening clinician supply adequacy especially in rural and underserved areas. Research shows Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program (THCGME) program graduates are more likely, than graduates of other programs, to care for rural and underserved patients after they complete their training. However, THCGME applicants must have an accredited residency training program and the accreditation process requires significant investment and expertise which often exceed health center resources. In 2021 and 2022 HRSA’s Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program (THCPD) provided one-time funding for grantees to develop and launch new accredited residency training programs, creating more than 800 new training slots for medical and dental residents. Other federal programs supporting Teaching Health Center efforts include HRSA’s Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) program, the Veteran Affairs GME pilot program, and Medicare’s Rural Track Program designation. State appropriations and Medicaid GME funding also catalyze residency training in health centers.

This session features health center leaders from Full Circle Health in Idaho and Delaware Valley Community Health in Pennsylvania who will share lessons learned on the impact of medical and dental residency training in health centers. THCGME, THCPD, and RRPD program content experts will describe state and federal programs supporting health center residency program launch and sustainability; and provide guidance on how to navigate interactions between these funding sources. Session speakers will also share resources and tools to support health centers at all phases of their Teaching Health Center development journey.