Fifteen new physician training programs are being planned in rural communities across 14 states with $11.2 million in federal grants, but patients in those towns should not expect new doctors soon. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced the Rural Residency Planning and Development awards on Sept. 4.
Each recipient can receive up to $750,000 over three years to plan a residency. That money covers accreditation, curriculum, faculty recruitment, and resident recruitment, not patient care. Residency training itself then takes at least three years in family medicine, so physicians trained under these grants are likely several years from independent practice.
