Post Date: August 1, 2023

On July 26, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $11 million to 15 awardees to strengthen the health workforce by establishing new residency programs in rural communities.

“Training residents in rural areas leads more medical school graduates to stay and practice in rural settings. There's a shortage of doctors across the nation, especially in most underserved communities, and these rural residency development grants will help address this shortage.

Nearly 70 percent of areas designated as primary medical Health Professional Shortage Areas are in rural areas. Physician shortages, poverty, and geographic isolation contribute to lack of access to care and poorer health outcomes for rural Americans.

This funding will help build the pipeline of doctors who have experience with the unique needs and challenges of working in rural areas, particularly rural women who face increased barriers to high-quality maternal health care before, during, and after pregnancy. This funding may be used to support accreditation costs, curriculum development, faculty recruitment and retention, resident recruitment activities, and consultation services to support program development (e.g., financing).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has also been taking critical steps to advance health equity and access to care. In January 2023, CMS awarded the first 200 of 1,000 new Medicare-funded physician residency slots. In allocating these new residency slots, CMS prioritized hospitals with training programs in geographic areas demonstrating the greatest need for additional providers, as determined by Health Professional Shortage Areas. CMS is also working to implement the new residency slots for psychiatry positions in fiscal year 2025 that Congress established in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.

For a detailed breakdown of the awards, visit: Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program Awards. 

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