Teaching Health Centers May Close in Urban Areas Nationwide

Teaching Health Centers May Close in Urban Areas Nationwide

By Christopher Shuttlesworth

The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program (THCGME), which operates as clinics that trains the next generation of

primary care providers to help more than 27 million Americans living in

underserved, rural communities, may be at risk of being discontinued if

Congress decides not to reauthorize program funding by Mar. 31, 2018. Congress passed a Continuing Budget resolution under the

“Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education Extension Act of

2017 on December 21, 2017, which extended the THCGME program’s funding until Mar. 31, 2018, at a lower rate than what the program requires to be whole.

Rachel Krause, marketing and public relations manager at Erie Family Health Center, explained that funding allocated through the last two short term extensions made by Congress only covers half of the total cost of resident education. Krause also said a full reauthorization of Teaching Health Centers (THC) is now critical because resident recruiting

decisions must be determined by Jan. 15, 2018.

“This uncertain funding environment makes it difficult to plan for and recruit new residents to a program where there is no guarantee of ongoing support,” Krause said. “Every day of delay makes it more likely that THCGME programs will close because they can’t absorb the financial

risks.”

In the past two years, THCGME programs have been financially forced to stop recruiting for more than 160 resident slots, according to Erie Family Health Center. THCGME Residents are now urging for a three-year reauthorization of program funding at $157,000 per resident or $142.5 million annually, reflecting the true cost of training.

Caitlin M. Farrell, a resident at Erie Family Health Center, said having more Teaching Health Centers across the country is vital because 50 million people lack necessary care due to physician shortages in urban communities.

“[Research] has shown that access to primary care is associated with not only timely care but avoiding unnecessary care and tests with an overall low patient mortality,” Farrell said. “When you look at the physician shortage across the nation, it’s projected to reach over 91,000 providers by year 2020.”

Farrell voiced that Congress should fully commit to THCGME funding and the long-term need of what the program needs to train more primary physicians in rural areas.

“Citizens need to call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224- 3121, and urge their representative that we need to pass something now because the health of our nation is at risk,” she said. “We see a lot of patients fall through the cracks of the medical system. But who will take care of these patients and help control their chronic illnesses?”

Congressman Danny Davis, who is opposed of any efforts to scale back funding to train medical personnel, said health is the most important thing in life because as long as we have health, we are living.

“We still need doctors and funding for graduate medical education is essential to our health infrastructure,” Davis said. “One of the things that this country has done in the last 50 years was increase life expectancy.

“50 years ago, life expectancy was 58 years but now we’re approaching 80 years. So, the presence of well-trained personnel continues to contribute significantly to our development.”

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