Record Number of Scholarships for Providers to Serve High Need Communities
Over the past four years, HRSA has awarded a record number of medical school and health professions scholarships to produce more than 2,900 new primary care providers who have committed to practicing in high need areas through the National Health Service Corps, and recruited more than 24,000 new primary care providers to practice in health professions shortage areas through an unprecedented investment in loan repayment through the National Health Service Corps.
New Incentives for Primary Care Providers Serving High Need Areas and Communities
For the first time in decades, HRSA increased loan repayment amounts to primary care providers willing to practice in high need areas and saw primary care applications increase by more than 30% in just one year. HRSA also created new incentives for primary care providers who are able to deliver care in Spanish through enhanced loan repayment and new investments to support clinical training of medical residents treating patients with limited English proficiency.
Growing the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Workforce
Over the past four years, HRSA produced nearly 30,000 new mental health and substance use disorder treatment providers, launched a new initiative to add mental health training to primary care residency to train nearly 2,000 new primary care providers with mental health experience annually, and launched a new interstate compact to improve access to mental health care by making it easier for social workers to practice across state lines and provide telehealth services.
New Incentives, Training Programs and Tele-consultation Support for the Maternal and Child Health Workforce
HRSA launched and expanded nearly 70 statewide physician mental health tele-consultation lines for pediatricians and OBs/midwives to directly access child and perinatal psychiatrists for real-time help with complex patient needs, roughly double from 2020.
HRSA also launched new incentives and new training programs to grow the maternal care workforce by over 5,800 providers, including obstetricians, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners and community-based doulas, with an emphasis on providing care in maternity care deserts;
New Investments and Innovative Programs to Strengthen the Nursing Workforce
Over the past four years, HRSA produced over 46,500 new nurses, including new investments in community college-to-Registered Nurse programs, and created novel programs to support more clinical nursing faculty to address capacity barriers to schools training more nurses.
Innovative Residency Programs in Rural and Underserved Outpatient Settings
Over the past four years, HRSA expanded its innovative training program that anchors primary care residency in outpatient community settings as opposed to large acute care hospitals, graduated nearly 1,300 new primary care physicians, including psychiatrists and obstetricians, as well as dentists.
HRSA also produced approximately 100 new physicians trained in rural areas through residencies created under HRSA’s rural residency development program, including support the first obstetrics and gynecology Rural Track Program in the country, and six others that will develop new family medicine residency programs with enhanced obstetrical training in rural communities.
Historic Investment in Community Health Workers
Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, HRSA made an historic investment in training more than 13,000 new community health workers to help patients get engaged in and stay connected to care.
Improving Care for Older Americans
Over the last four years, HRSA has improved the lives of older adults by integrating geriatrics and primary care while maximizing patient and family engagement through grantee partnerships with more than 500 community-based organizations and 1,100 nursing homes to improve care and support dementia-friendly communities.
Combating burnout and promoting the well-being of the health workforce
HRSA made a landmark investment of more than $100 million aligned with the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act to address burnout and promote mental health among the health care workforce through evidence-informed programs, practices, and training.