Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program - a. Entity Type: Community Health Center b. Project Director Contact Information: Sonya Khan. SonyaKh@lchealth.org 978-872-0241 c. Residency Type: Family Medicine Residency d. Funding preference statement (not applicable) e. Population Target Area: Greater Lowell, MA f. Funding Amount Requested: $500,000 g. Projected number of resident positions: 12 h. Expected ACGME accreditation date: March 31, 2025 Expected residency matriculation date: July 1, 2026 Funding will establish an onsite accredited primary care (family medicine) residency program at Lowell Community Health Center (Lowell CHC), to help address critical health workforce shortages and encourage medical residents to apply their talents and energies to practice in medically underserved communities, leading to improved equitable delivery of care and improved health outcomes for the Greater Lowell MA area. Lowell CHC provides care for low-income, immigrant and refugee populations in the Greater Lowell MA including the City of Lowell, neighboring towns and southern NH. In 2021 we served 31,243 patients and touched the lives of close to half the City of Lowell through extensive partnerships. 73.69% of patients are a racial/ethnic minority; 88% live below 200% and 66.37% live below 100% FPL. (2021 UDS) We are a state-designated Refugee Health Assessment site; many patients have complex health issues complicated by histories of trauma and torture. Lowell CHC will serve as the teaching health center site for the Lowell Consortium for Medical Education, a GME consortium with Tufts Medical Center. Residents will develop clinical skills across the continuum of care including subspecialties. Clinical partnerships may include Tufts Medical Center; Lowell General Physician Hospital Org.; MelroseWakefield Healthcare (MelroseWakefield Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Hallmark PHO). By the end of the two-year performance period, we will 1) Establish a Teaching Health Center and GME Consortium; hire staffing, related supports (anticipated completion 6/30/2023) 2) Develop a curriculum that reflects the community, in line with the six ACGME competencies (anticipated completion 12/31/2023); 3) Submit ACGME accreditation request end Year 1, with approval anticipated by end Year 2; 4) Deploy a Communications plan; design onboarding program by 3/2025, in preparation for our first cohort of 4 Residents (7/2026). Residents will gain experience, skills, and knowledge to manage health needs and decrease disease burden among medically underserved communities, and better understand the impact of underlying determinants of health on our patient population and provide leadership in quality improvement and population health management to reduce health disparities. Strengthened collaboration with Tufts Medical Center network will improve care for patients. Program will be led by a Residency Program Director (MD), supported by a Residency Coordinator, with oversight from the Lowell CHC Chief Medical Officer. We will develop a robust curriculum with our GME consortium members including Tufts Medical Center. Residents will conduct outpatient rotations at Lowell CHC, serving the Greater Lowell MA area, with inpatient rotations at a Tufts Medical Center affiliate. We anticipate that Residents completing our program will successfully attain certification by the American Board of Family Medicine, and will continue to serve in communities most impacted by health disparities and histories of institutional racism.
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).