Rural Residency Planning and Development Program - Eligible entity: FQHC Program Pathway: General Primary Care; Family Medicine New rural track program SI: Innercare-Coachella: 8000501212 852 E. Danenberg Dr, Coachella, CA 92236-1530 Rural target counties: Imperial & East Riverside County Funding requested: $750,000 Funding Option: 6 Projected residents: 24 total residents (6 Rural Track) Anticipated ACGME accreditation to be received May 2025; initial residents to start July 2026 Funding priority 2 List of HRSA funding: • FY 2020 Coronavirus Supplemental Funding for Health Centers - H8CCS34030 • Health Center Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Funding - H8DCS35640 • FY 2020 Expanding Capacity for Coronavirus Testing (ECT) - H8ECS38526 • American Rescue Plan Act Funding for Health Centers - H8FCS40711 • Health Center Infrastructure Support - C8ECS43705 • Congressionally Directed Spending for Construction Projects - CE2CS49376 • FY 2023 Bridge Access Program - H8LCS51951 • Health Center Program - H80CS00733 Poverty is one of the most significant social determinants of health, influencing every aspect of an individual’s well-being. Individuals and families living in poverty face increased risks of chronic disease, mental health disorders, and reduced life expectancy due to systemic barriers and socioeconomic disadvantages. Residents of underserved communities, such as Imperial County and East Coachella Valley, often face limited access to essential resources that support a healthy quality of life. Innercare, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), provides comprehensive primary care services across Imperial and Riverside Counties. It operates 10 health clinics, 4 dental clinics, 3 pharmacies, 6 Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) sites, and 3 WIC Nutrition Education Centers. These facilities support the educational framework of the Family Medicine Residency Program while advancing population health and improving patient outcomes. Innercare serves one of the most socioeconomically disadvantaged and least-educated regions in the US. In this service area, 45% of residents are low-income, 78% belong to racial/ethnic minority groups, and 28% of adults lack a high school diploma. Several communities rank in the top 1% nationwide for socioeconomic needs. By 2060, Riverside County will experience the highest population growth, becoming California’s second-most populous county (AMork Consulting, 2023). This demographic shift will significantly impact healthcare demand. Innercare will serve as the primary site for the Family Medicine Residency Program. The rural training track will support 2 of 8 residents per year and all residents in the program will have rotations at the rural clinics. The rural track continuity clinic will be based at the Brawley location. Third-year residents will also complete a one-month Family Medicine Clinic rotation at the Coachella Clinic to gain diverse clinical experiences with an elective opportunity at the other clinics. Maternity care in Riverside & Imperial counties is severely lacking due to the closure of maternity wards. Only one ward remains open after El Centro Hospital closed the maternity ward due to financial constraints in January 2024. Since 2011, a quarter of rural hospitals in the U.S. have ceased to provide obstetrics services, leaving more than half of rural hospitals in the country without a maternity ward. In California, almost 60% of rural hospitals lack one. Inpatient training will be conducted at Eisenhower Hospital, which is recognized as a Center of Excellence in Cancer, Cardiology, Neuroscience, and Orthopedics. This partnership will provide residents with opportunities to train in a state-of-the-art facility and gain experience in these critical areas of healthcare in Coachella Valley. Grant funding will support recruitment of GME leadership and faculty and collaborations with additional participating sites to ensure a comprehensive clinical experience aligned with the ACGME requirements.
