A new $11 million federal contract to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill aims to strengthen healthcare workforce training programs.
Here are six things to know:
1. The Health Resources and Services Administration awarded the contract to the university, which will improve access to care in underserved areas, according to a Nov. 13 news release.
2. The contract will fund a new technical assistance center for HRSA's Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, providing program grantees with information on residency program operations.
3. The center will also address accreditation issues and potential specialty expansion, aiming to ensure residency programs can grow to meet the increasing need for healthcare in underserved areas.
4. The technical assistance center will also promote collaboration and the sharing of best practices among grantees.
5. The contract builds on the existing collaboration between the UNC School of Medicine and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
6. "Our expertise in rural health, primary care and community-based residency program development aligns perfectly with the goals of the THCGME program," Mark Holmes, Sheps Center director, said in the release. "We are committed to providing the technical support and leadership needed to expand residency training opportunities and ultimately improve health care access in underserved communities."