HHS awards $83.4 million to train new primary care providers

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell today announced $83.4 million in Affordable Care Act funding to support primary care residency programs in 60 Teaching Health Centers across the nation. The funding will help train more than 550 residents during the 2014-2015 academic year, increasing the number of residents trained in the previous academic year by more than 200 and helping to increase access to health care in communities across the country. Created by the Affordable Care Act, the Teaching Health Center Program expands residency training in community-based settings. Residents will be trained in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, geriatrics, and general dentistry.  “The Affordable Care Act supports the training of new primary care physicians through the Teaching Health Center program,” Secretary Burwell said. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the continued growth of this program to help prepare even more physicians to provide primary care in communities across the country.” Today’s awards expand the number of states with Teaching Health Centers from 21 to 24. Teaching Health Centers are located in a variety of settings, including urban, rural, and tribal communities, and serve diverse populations. “This program not only provides training to primary care medical and dental residents, but also galvanizes communities,” said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. “It brings hospitals, academic centers, health centers, and community organizations together to provide top-notch medical education and services in areas of the country that need them most.” A list of awards (asterisk indicates new awardees) is available at www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2014tables/teachinghealthcenters/. For information on the Teaching Health Centers program, visit http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/grants/teachinghealthcenters/index.html. To learn more about the Affordable Care Act, go to www.hhs.gov/healthcare.