HHS Announces New Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Program

Eleven centers will support primary care residency training in community-based settings

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the designation of 11 new Teaching Health Centers in the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, a 5-year program that will support an increased number of primary care medical and dental residents trained in community-based settings across the country.  These Teaching Health Centers will be supported by funds made available through the Affordable Care Act and will help address the need to train primary care physicians and dentists in our nation's communities.

With the funds, these Teaching Health Centers can seek additional primary care residents through the National Resident Matching program this month and will train 50 additional resident full-time equivalents beginning in July 2011.  While 3 months of funding totaling $1,900,000 is being awarded this first program year, in future years the annual funding will increase to cover the full-year costs, as well as additional residents.  These investments provide an important platform for expanding the primary care workforce and creating more opportunities to prepare physicians to practice primary care in community-based settings, while ensuring primary care services are available to our nation's most underserved communities.

"The Teaching Health Center program is an integral part of our mission to strengthen the nation's primary care workforce and ensure that all Americans have adequate access to care," said Secretary Sebelius.

The new Teaching Health Centers are distributed around the nation and will train residents in family medicine, internal medicine, and general dentistry.  Teaching Health Centers will receive up to 5 years of ongoing support for the costs associated with training primary care physicians and dentists.  HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will administer the program.

"Participating in this program not only provides top-notch training to primary care medical and dental residents, but also motivates them to practice in underserved areas after graduation," said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.

Eligible Teaching Health Centers are community-based ambulatory patient care centers that operate a primary care residency program, including federally-qualified health centers; community mental health centers; rural health clinics; health centers operated by the Indian Health Service, an Indian tribe or tribal organization; and entities receiving funds under Title X of the Public Health Service Act.  

For additional information, visit http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/apply/assistance/teachinghealthcenters/.  

The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA is the primary Federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.

SOURCE Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)