Teaching Health Center (THC) Graduate Medical Education (GME) Payment Program - To train primary care physicians in a community health center setting, to equip them to effectively serve a diverse patient population, and to develop skilled physicians who can overcome healthcare access barriers to lead in primary care delivery, HealthPoint will establish a new residency program in the discipline of Family Medicine. HealthPoint is a community-based ambulatory patient care center and a federally qualified health center (FQHC), and through this new application we will operate the HealthPoint Family Medicine Residency Program as a standalone entity based out of our clinic at HealthPoint Auburn North in the community of Auburn, Washington. Our program will begin training residents as of July 1, 2025. HealthPoint (www.healthpointchc.org) is a community health center committed to delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care to diverse populations. The residency program will address this by enhancing healthcare access and quality for these growing populations. Our Auburn North health center, located in south King County, will serve as the primary training site of our Family Medicine Residency Program. South King County, including Auburn, is notably impacted by significant health, housing, and economic disparities, as highlighted by the King County Community Health Needs Assessment. Recent data shows worsening racial/ethnic disparities in life expectancy, with particularly stark declines for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations despite increases in Medicaid coverage. The influx of over 6,000 refugees from Afghanistan underscores the need for expanded services and workforce capacity. Our role in refugee resettlement and the growing need to address diverse patient demographics align with HRSA's priorities of enhancing healthcare access and improving health outcomes in underserved communities. The zip code tabulation areas that make up the primary service area of HealthPoint Auburn North are situated in the heart of southern King County, one of the most diverse and highest needs areas in our region. Of 307,000 people in the service area, over 78,000 (26%) are low income; 20,000 of these (26%) are low-income people who have not been served by an FQHC. About 77,000 (25%) are covered by Medicaid or other public insurance, and 25,000 (8%) of service area residents are uninsured, and 30,000 (10%) service area adults delayed or did not seek care due to cost. Over 55,000 (18%) area adults report no usual source of primary care; over 24,000 (8%) have had diabetes; and 80,000 (26%) have high blood pressure. The Auburn North area’s drug-induced death rate is 26.8 per 100,000, higher than the countywide figure of 19.4/100,000. The HealthPoint Family Medicine Residency Program is dedicated to educating family medicine physician leaders to promote, improve, and maintain good health for all people across the lifespan through high-quality, integrated, and evidence-based care. We are committed to training family medicine physicians in a community health center setting who will successfully partner with patients from diverse backgrounds to overcome barriers to healthcare access. In this new application, HealthPoint requests 18 (6-6-6) total resident FTE positions requested to be funded under this program for all three post-graduate years of training. We request 6 resident FTE positions to be funded in the first academic year. This setup will sustain uniformity in the education experience and guarantees sufficient and mentorship support for residents all within the framework of delivering healthcare in diverse, high needs, community-based environments. The HealthPoint Family Medicine Residency Program will perform rotations through the MultiCare Auburn Medical Center, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, and Seattle Children's Hospital.
