Rural Residency Planning and Development Program - Applicant Facility Type: Rural Hospital Program Pathway: General Primary Care and High Need Specialty pathway residency Residency Medical Specialty: Family Medicine Residency Format: Rural residency program (non-RTP) Sponsoring Institution: Kansas City University Graduate Medical Education Consortium; Kansas City, Missouri (ACGME Sponsoring Institution) Rural Target County: Howell County, Missouri (and surrounding service area) Funding Amount Requested: $750,000 Program Sustainability Option: Option 1-Rural hospital new residency program, Option 3-Establishing a Medicare FTE resident cap for first time, and Option 6.B.- Private funding. Projected Total Number of Residents: 24 (8 residents per class) Expected Accreditation and Start Dates: ACGME accreditation anticipated in 2028; first resident cohort to begin in 2029 Recent HRSA Awards: Federal Award Date: 03/17/2026, 6 CE1HS52649-01-06, Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending - Construction Project Narrative Ozarks Healthcare, a rural hospital located in Howell County, Missouri, proposes to develop a new Family Medicine residency program to address persistent shortages of primary care providers in a high-need rural region. The service area includes medically underserved communities with limited access to care, high rates of chronic disease, and significant barriers related to transportation, poverty, and health workforce shortages. The project will establish a three-year, ACGME-accredited rural residency program in partnership with the Kansas City University Graduate Medical Education (KCU GME) Consortium. Residents will receive comprehensive training in inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and community-based care, with a focus on serving medically vulnerable populations. More than 50 percent of training will occur at rural clinical sites, ensuring meaningful exposure to rural healthcare delivery. Key project activities include program planning and infrastructure development, faculty recruitment and training, curriculum development, identification and formalization of rural training sites, and preparation of the ACGME accreditation application. Clinical training will be supported through Ozarks Healthcare and affiliated rural clinics and community partners. The target population includes rural residents of Howell County and surrounding areas, particularly older adults, low-income individuals, and those with limited access to primary and preventive care. This project will expand access to healthcare services, improve continuity of care, and support better management of chronic conditions. Specific project objectives include: (1) achieving ACGME accreditation by 2028; (2) establishing a sustainable residency program with capacity for 24 residents; (3) recruiting and training residents committed to rural practice; and (4) increasing retention of Family Medicine physicians in rural communities. The project will be implemented by Ozarks Healthcare leadership in collaboration with KCU, Dr. Kerrie Jordan as Designated Institutional Official, and other regional clinical and community partners. Expected outcomes include an increased supply of primary care physicians, improved access to care for medically vulnerable populations, and long-term workforce stabilization in the Ozarks region. By training physicians locally, the program will create a sustainable pipeline of providers who are more likely to remain in rural communities and continue serving populations in need.
