Sunday, May 18, 2025
5/18/2025
Rural Residency Planning and Development Program - Facility Type: Rural Hospital Rural Target Area: Orangeburg, SC Residency Specialty: Family Medicine Residency Format: Rural Residency Program Program Director: Alexei DeCastro, MD Contact Information: decastroa@musc.edu Program Pathway: Maternal Health and Obstetrics Pathway Sponsoring Institution: Medical University of South Carolina, 179 Ashley Ave, Rm 202 Main Hospital MSC 333, Charleston, SC 29425, 459501 Funding Amount Requested: $750,000 Projected Number of Residents: 4/year (12 total) Program Sustainability Option: Medicare GME and/or MUSC Health System funding Expected ACGME Accreditation: 1/2025 Expected Residency Matriculation: 6/2026 Funding Priority: Funding Priority 2- Maternal Health List of Recent HRSA Awards (last 5 years): Telehealth Center of Excellence (U66RH31458); Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE) (T13HP31902); Pediatric Residency Expansion and Enhancement in Rural Primary Care (D58HP37577); PCTE (T0BHP30003) The purpose of this proposal is to increase the number of family physicians providing maternity care in rural and underserved areas by establishing a new rural residency program focused on maternity care in Orangeburg, an underserved, rural South Carolina (SC) county serving a diverse population (>60% Black/African American). SC is ranked 41st in the country for overall health, while Orangeburg County is ranked 35th in the state, having high infant and maternal mortality rates. An established family medicine residency (MUSC Health Charleston), MUSC Health Orangeburg, SC AHEC and the SC Office of Rural Health will collaborate to provide enhanced rural primary care training via an innovative, technology-enhanced clinical training site, tailored curriculum that includes telehealth and practice transformation training, and targeted faculty development for all educators. Diversity and health equity will be a focus of the program, seeking to recruit applicants from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds, and having specific educational efforts and quality measures focusing on disparities in vulnerable populations. Residents will be at a rural site for 97% of their training. Training will focus on meeting rural health needs and ACGME’s Family Medicine Program Requirements for comprehensive pregnancy-related care. This proposal has the following objectives: Obj 1: Establishment of a new rural family medicine residency program Key Task 1: Establish an innovative, technology-enhanced clinical training site for family medicine residents interested in practicing in a rural setting that facilitates experiences in practice transformation, use of telehealth and disparities faced by those living in rural areas. Key Task 2: Develop, implement and evaluate faculty development targeted at delivering resident training using competency-based education principles, using assessment tools to improve educational outcomes. Key Task 3: Successful recruitment and retention of a diverse group of primary care trainees interested in providing care in rural settings. Key Task 4: Develop, implement and evaluate a residency curriculum tailored to improve care of those living in rural areas, including maternal health, treatment of substance use disorders and behavioral health concerns. Obj 2) Finalize a validated sustainability plan for ongoing funding Key Task 1: Apply for Medicare GME funding for Medicare FTE Resident Cap Expansion Key Task 2: Finalize a detailed pro forma for program sustainability Obj 3) Develop an enhanced Graduate Tracking Plan to evaluate residency outcomes Key Task 1: Develop a robust data collection system that includes self-reported and publicly available data to characterize residency graduate career outcomes.
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).