HJNO Sep/Oct 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS  I  SEP / OCT 2023 57 Chénier Reynolds-Montz, MBA, MS Senior Vice President School Health & Strategic Media Access Health Louisiana consider the proliferation of urgent care centers as an added threat to the primary care system within the state. By extending grant opportunities to federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), the HRSAcan help attract graduate-level medical students to areas of high need across the country. Access Health Louisiana (AHL), an FQHC network, is the recipient of one of HRSA’s 2023 Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program grants. The half-million-dollar award will allow AHL to develop a robust education- al and training program that will offer a wide range of learning opportunities for medical professionals. The program will help FQHCs, such as AHL, attract and train more highly qualified medical profession- als at community health centers in hopes of cultivating a long-term career in com- munity-based care. AHL’s Alicia Battle, PhD, MCHES, and Eric Griggs, MD, believe the grant will not only help expand community-based med- ical programs to areas in need but will also give physicians experience serving diverse and socially vulnerable patient popula- tions. “We plan to create an educational program that is welcoming and inclusive of all students where they can feel valued and supported,” said Battle. “Community health centers are often organized around the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Model, which em- phasizes the importance of patient-cen- tered care, coordination, and prevention,” says Griggs. “Medical school graduates who receive training in these settings gain experience in delivering care within this model, learning how to provide compre- hensive care that is tailored to the needs and preferences of individual patients.” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson agrees. “The American Rescue Plan has been a game-changer for growing this critical program and helping us build a workforce that best reflects and serves the communities that need these resources most.” In fact, 60% of THCGME program grant recipient sites are in medically un- derserved communities (MUC). These communities, according to HRSA, not only have a lack of access to primary care services in their community but often in neighboring communities as well. These areas often have a high population eligible for Medicaid. AHL currently operates community health centers and school-based health centers in 17 parishes across central and south Louisiana in MUCs. While its health centers offer primary care and behavior- al health services, patients have access to 340b discount medications through AHL’s in-house pharmacy, as well as psychiatry, dental, and even specialty services. Physicians who continue their career in public health at an FQHC site can qualify for loan repayment through the National Health Service Corps and Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs. n REFERENCES Association of American Medical Colleges. “AAMC Supports Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023.” News release, March 29, 2023. https://www.aamc.org/news-in- sights/press-releases/aamc-supports-resident- physician-shortage-reduction-act-2023 Well-Ahead Louisiana. Louisiana Primary Care Needs Assessment: Closing the Gap on Work- force Shortages. September 2020. https:// wellaheadla.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/ Louisiana-Primary-Care-Needs-Assessment- 2020_Web.pdf BY THE YEAR 2025, the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis (NCHWA) estimates a shortage of 23,640 FTE prima- ry care physicians in the U.S. It is a supply and demand problem. Research points to an increased dependency on primary care physicians as Americans age. While legislation such as the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 could potentially expand medical residency po- sitions over time, teaching health centers offer an immediate solution to helping un- derserved and rural patient populations access more care. The U.S. Department of Health and Hu- man Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded more than $155 million to 72 teaching health centers across the na- tion between 2022 and 2023. The awards are supported by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. “Increasing the number of primary care residents training in com- munity health centers and other outpa- tient community clinics is a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan to ad- dress longstanding health inequities in our most vulnerable communities,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. NCHWA projections show that many of the primary care physician positions will need to be filled in the southernmost states. The patient population living in this part of the country already faces higher rates of chronic illnesses such as hyperten- sion and diabetes. Currently, 63 out of 64 Louisiana parishes are designated Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Engaging in preventative care is not part of the culture in Louisiana. Some