Sunday, May 18, 2025
5/18/2025
Rural Residency Planning and Development Program - Applicant / Sponsoring Institution: Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Ltd. dba DHR Health Address / Location: 5501 S. McColl Rd., Edinburg, TX 78539 ACGME Sponsor Program Code: 489651 Project Director / Residency Program Director: Naomi D’Acolatse, MD, MPH, FAAFP Contact: 956 362 2428, N.Dacolatse@dhr-rgv.com, 1000 E. Dove Ave, Ste. 200, McAllen, TX 78504 Website: https://www.dhrhealth.com/ Eligibility / Facility Type: For Profit Organization / Rural Health Clinics Program Pathway: Maternal Health and Obstetrics Pathway Residency Residency Specialty: Family Medicine with Enhanced Obstetrical Training Residency Format: New Rural Track Program (New Program Accreditation) Rural Target Area: Starr County, TX Funding Amount Requested: $750,000 Program Sustainability Options: 1 – Establishing Medicare FTE Resident Cap; Option 3 – Medicare FTE Resident Cap Expansion for RTPs; 4 – Other Public or Private Funding Projected Total Number of Residents: 6 Expected ACGME Accreditation/ Residency Matriculation Dates: April 30, 2025 / July 1, 2025 Funding Priority Points Requested: Priority 2 - Maternal Health No recent HRSA Awards in the last 5 years Doctors Hospital Renaissance, Ltd., doing business as DHR Health, is the largest underrepresented minority owned and operated health system in the nation. Located in South Texas, DHR Health was founded in 1997 to aid over 1.5 million residents in accessing healthcare within the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), a largely Hispanic border town region that historically lacked public hospitals. DHR Health has steadily grown and now serves over 300,000 patients annually across 4 counties, Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and Wilacy. As a 500+ bed Level 1 Trauma Center, DHR Health provides the full continuum of care including women’s health and Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs. DHR Health proudly operates as a safety net health system, serving the needs of urban and rural communities. Starr County, a rural, high need geographic region within the RGV is underserved with HRSA designations of Medically Underserved Area (score: 53), Health Professionals Shortage Area for Primary Care (score:16), and Maternity Care Target Area (MCTA Supplementary Score: 23). The population is 65,000 with a median age of 26.97% identify as Hispanic and 51% live below the poverty line. The greatest healthcare needs are primary and obstetrical care with a patient to primary care physician ratio of 4,020 to 1. In 2020, the Texas Department of State Health Services released a Physician Supply and Demand report revealing the Family Medicine (FM) physician shortage in TX is projected to have the greatest increase in deficit from 1,034 physicians in 2018 to 2,495 in 2032. The RGV region is projected to face critical FM physician shortages with an increase from 234 physicians needed to 355. In July 2020, DHR became an ACGME Sponsoring Institution and began 7 accredited residency programs and fellowships. To meet the critical FM physician shortage and healthcare needs of Starr County, DHR will expand GME programs to this service area. DHR will partner with Starr County Memorial Hospital and local clinics to establish a new 2-2-2 Family Medicine (FM) Rural Track Program (RTP) with Enhanced Obstetrical Training. DHR is requesting funding priority 2 for maternal health to train residents for the independent practice of obstetrics in rural communities. DHR will provide a solution to the workforce shortage in Starr County by creating a new source of providers to the physician pipeline in this area, increasing access to care for the rural and underserved. DHR will, recruit faculty for the new FM RTP by December 2024; develop a curriculum emphasizing obstetrical care by January 2025; establish an ACGME accredited RTP to begin training residents by July 2025; implement a resident recruitment plan by April 2025; finalize a validated sustainability plan by June 2026; develop a graduate tracking plan to publicly report career outcomes by June 2027.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).