Tuesday, April 29, 2025
4/29/2025
Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program - a. Eligible Entity Type: Federally Qualified Health Center; Free Clinic of the New River Valley, Inc., DBA Community Health Center of the New River Valley This FQHC will operate the residency program alone. b. Project Director Contact Information: Michelle Brauns, CEO Community Health Center of the New River Valley 215 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 PH: 540-381-0820; Email: mbrauns@chcnrv.org c. Residency Type: General Dentistry Residency d. Funding Preference: No Funding Preference is requested. e. Population Target Areas: Underserved population in the rural communities of the New River Valley Region of Southwest Virginia (Counties of Giles, Pulaski, and Montgomery, and the City of Radford). f. Funding Amount Requested: $500,000 g. Projected Number of Resident Positions in the Newly Established Program: 4 h. Expected CODA Accreditation: February 2025; Residency Matriculation Date: July 1, 2026. The Community Health Center of the New River Valley is applying for federal funding to plan for and establish a residency program in General Dentistry. The goal of the program is to increase the dental workforce in rural Southwest Virginia. Recruiting and retaining dentists to work at our FQHC has been a long-standing challenge. Demand for dental services is great, and wait times for appointments average three months out. The residency will lead to an increase in access to dental services for our underserved patients, and to an increase in dental professionals’ interest in living and working in the area. Federal funds from the grant will support the costs of developing the General Dentistry Residency, including faculty salaries of those integral to the planning and development, costs of a Curriculum Consultant and an Appalachian Cultural Responsiveness Consultant, resident recruitment costs, and the initial CODA accreditation fee. The residency will be accredited as an Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency (AEGD). This 12-month residency will have four full-time slots. Residents will rotate through our three permanent dental units in Christiansburg, Pearisburg, and Dublin, Virginia (with 12 total dental operatories). Of these, the Pearisburg and Dublin sites are officially rural. Our three staff dentists will serve as on-site preceptors. Regional oral health care specialists will join our faculty, to assist in didactic and clinical training in specialty care. Endodontists, periodontists, and oral surgeons will work with residents on-site at one of our three dental units. Training in the residency will meet all standards of CODA, and will also be specific to the needs of our community and our residents. Focus areas will include integrated care with medical and behavioral health practitioners, unique oral health needs of patients with severe dental anxiety and substance use disorder, cultural considerations for best serving our Appalachian residents, and treating the highly challenging profiles of those who have postponed care due to un- or underinsurance. The integrated care model of our FQHC will enhance our curriculum.
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).