Evaluating Teaching Health Center Planning and Development: Unlocking and Sustaining the Full Potential of the...

Area of Science:

• Health Workforce Development
• Medical Education Policy
• Community Health Systems

Background:

• Community-based training is crucial for improving healthcare access in underserved regions.
• The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program supports this training model.
• The Teaching Health Center Planning and Development (THCPD) program was established to fund new community-based residency programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the outcomes of the THCPD program.
• To characterize THCPD training sites.
• To compare the demographics of counties with Teaching Health Centers (THCs) to eligible non-participating counties.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of county-level characteristics for 180 counties with THCGME and/or THCPD programs.
• Comparison with counties hosting community health centers but not participating in THCGME/PD.
• Univariate and multivariate regression analyses to identify factors associated with THC program presence.

Main Results:

• THCPD is facilitating the creation of new residency programs, with a projected 900 resident positions across 13 states and 73 new counties.
• 501 accredited positions are established in 39 THCPD-supported programs.
• THC counties exhibit higher proportions of Medicaid beneficiaries and mental health professional shortage areas compared to other eligible counties.

Conclusions:

• The THCPD program effectively expands accredited residency programs in community settings.
• These programs are strategically located in areas with significant healthcare needs, including high Medicaid populations.
• THCPD addresses critical shortages in the mental health workforce within underserved communities.