Carolina researchers awarded $11M to strengthen physician and dental training programs in underserved areas

As part of its strategy to improve access to healthcare, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a contract to the University of North Carolina to support health workforce training in community health centers which help improve access to care for millions of Americans with too few physicians and dentists. This shortage creates a barrier to getting the care they need. Research has shown that healthcare professionals are more likely to practice in a setting similar to where they trained.

Emily Hawes, PharmD, professor of family medicine in the UNC School of Medicine (SOM) and member of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, is leading a new initiative that expands support to existing programs funded by HRSA.

Existing programs

HRSA's Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program expands primary care residency training in underserved communities across the United States. The program plays a vital role in addressing the growing need for primary care physicians and dentists in rural and underserved areas by training residents in specialties such as family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, general and pediatric dentistry, and geriatrics. These residency programs aim to directly address workforce shortages by equipping new generations of health care providers to serve in medically underserved communities.

Expanded efforts

Building off existing collaboration between the UNC SOM and the Sheps Center to create new rural and underserved programs, this contract will fund a newly created technical assistance center. The THCGME Technical Assistance Center (TAC) led by Hawes will provide THCGME grantees with access to a centralized hub of information and expertise covering all aspects of residency program operations and sustainability. The TAC will support grantees with the residency program vitality, including accreditation maintenance, program governance, curricular innovation, student recruitment, and faculty development in the community-based residency programs.

"By establishing a Technical Assistance Center for the THCGME Program, we are not only supporting newly developed residency programs, but also enhancing the vitality of existing programs," Hawes says. "This will allow us to better serve communities in rural and underserved areas and address the nation's primary care workforce shortage."

By addressing accreditation issues, operational stability, and potential expansion into new specialties, the TAC will ensure that residency programs can grow to meet the increasing demand for health care providers in underserved areas. Additionally, the center will encourage collaboration among grantees, fostering peer-to-peer learning and the sharing of best practices.

"The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program is a cornerstone of our efforts to strengthen the primary care workforce in underserved communities," said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. By investing in this new Technical Assistance Center, we're providing THCGME grantees with the support they need to build strong, sustainable residency programs. This initiative will help ensure that more Americans have access to quality healthcare, regardless of where they live."

Expert impact

In partnership with the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and the School of Medicine, Dr. Hawes, serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) for the contract. Dr. Hawes brings extensive expertise and leadership to the initiative, working alongside key partners and stakeholders like the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) to ensure comprehensive support for THCGME grantees and the community health centers engaged in residency program development.

"With over five decades of experience in health services research and a track record of supporting innovative health care solutions, the Sheps Center is well-positioned to guide a project of this scale," says Mark Holmes, PhD, Sheps Center director. "Our expertise in rural health, primary care, and community-based residency program development aligns perfectly with the goals of the THCGME Program. We are committed to providing the technical support and leadership needed to expand residency training opportunities and ultimately improve healthcare access in underserved communities."