Besides cultivating future physicians, a residency program has other benefits. It can save on recruitment and placement costs, expand primary care access inex- pensively, and keep doctors whom pa- tients are familiar with in the area. As with the UT-Good Shepherd pro- gram, experts say the new planning efforts likely will require partnerships among hospitals and ACGME- or AOA- accredited sponsors like academic cen- ters with the know-how on fulfilling ongoing accreditation, as well as the faculty and administrative resources to more quickly launch a GME program. In Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County Memorial Hospital Chief Executive Offi- cer Michael McAndrew searches for cre- ative ways to partner with an academic institution or other hospital districts to take advantage of the grants and get more physicians to the rural area. “Where we are, our philosophy is that we have to grow our own,” he said. “I would dearly love to have some kind of family or internal medicine residency program. I never saw this as a way to make money, certainly. But the very peo- ple who can put these [planning grants] to use are those with the most limited resources.” Recruiting has always been difficult for the hospital, which started its own nontraditional nursing program to devel- op nurses and now sees the fruits of that program. He sees the planning grants as an opportunity to do the same kind of thing to do more than just get doctors to Hopkins County. “If we graduate three doctors a year, we may not be able to keep them all. But those are three doctors who could poten- tially relocate here to East Texas, and a rising tide lifts all boats. And I see this as an opportunity to really help elevate the level of health care in the region by doing that,” Mr. McAndrew said. “But if we can’t even get them here, we have no shot at them. If we bring them here, and they are here for three years, we’ve got a really good shot at them.”
Long-term commitment Hospital and academic representatives also raised concerns about the short- term, two-year grants because residency
programs can take at least that many years to be established under current ACGME and AOA rules. The grant pro- cess itself also is complex. The grants are “one possible way of enticing hospitals into the GME teach- ing business, and it’s a wonderful mis- sion for hospitals to take on, and we are hoping a lot do. We will not be turning down any money, certainly. But it’s a tall order,” said Lois L. Bready, MD, associate dean at UT Health Science Center-San Antonio. Her school was exploring part- nerships for the planning grants, and she agrees the faster track is for community hospitals to work with an existing spon- soring institution to determine the feasi- bility of a GME program. But that’s just step one. Creating a fully functioning residency program re- quires an ongoing commitment not just from hospitals and medical schools, but also from the legislature, Dr. Bready says.
“I look forward to next session and fer- vently hope this forward motion contin- ues and grows to take it to fruition.” According to THECB Workforce Di-
rector Suzanne Pickens, “legislative staff indicated to us that this is a long-term program, and [funding] will continue. There are no guarantees, but that’s what was made clear to us.” Still, board staff acknowledged that
the labor-intensive process of applying for the planning grants and the quick deadline, as well as cost concerns, could present some hurdles. They promised to work with applicants to help ensure the grant awards are exhausted. “We would be thrilled to give out 12 awards,” Ms. Pickens said. For more information on all of the 2013 GME grant programs, visit http://
bit.ly/1eipf9y or contact Ms. Pickens at (512) 427-6240 or at suzanne.pickens@
thecb.state.tx.us.
Family medicine residency funding gets a boost
The 2013 legislature more than doubled funding for the Family Medicine Residency Program from $5.6 million in the last bien- nium to $12.78 million in 2014–15. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board recently approved funding for 716 family medicine residents at $8,760 each per year for 2014–15, com- pared with 693 residents at $3,968 each per year for 2012–13, when funding was drastically cut. In 2010–11, the state put $21.2 million into the program. This time around, the state also will set aside $236,000 to
pay for 56 optional rural rotations for family medicine residents. Another $6,000 will fund three public health rotations, which would restore the public health rotations cut in the current state budget.
TMA officials say both rotations expose family medicine resi-
dents to medicine in rural or public health settings — two areas that need more physicians.
November 2013 TEXAS MEDICINE 39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60