CME4 - Teaching Health Centers Lessons Learned: Partner & Mission Alignment

Monday, August 18, 2025

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM CT

Location: Regency B (West Tower, Ballroom Level)

Knowledge Level: Basic
Prerequisite: N/A
CPE: 1.2
CME: 1.0
CE: 0
CEU: 1.0

Session Description: The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program supports accredited community-based residency training for physicians and dentists and has a pivotal role in preparing future health center physicians and dentists. In comparison with non-THCGME trained residents, THCGME graduates are more likely to stay in rural and underserved areas when they finish their training. THCGME graduates are also more likely to work in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) or Look-alikes. Building on the demonstrated success of THCGME, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funded the Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program (THCPD), which allowed for the start-up of more than 80 new health center programs, creating more than 400 new GME positions.

This session will feature health center leaders who will share their Teaching Health Center journeys, with a special focus on how to build new external relationships and partnerships essential to getting started and growing financially sustainable THCGME programs. Workshop content will also include accreditation and academic external partner perspectives on building these new relationships and partnerships. Workshop participants will learn about initial outcomes of the THCPD program, program resources including Medicare and Medicaid GME, tools, and lessons learned from developing programs to potentially launch new GME and provider training experiences.

Learning Objectives:

Describe data and outcomes related to THCGME and THCPD including program development, growth, and impact to growing the health center workforce.
Identify and evaluate tools and resources applicable to all phases of THCGME program development and ongoing operations, from initial planning to long-term sustainability.
Describe and discuss effective strategies for fostering successful THCGME program partnerships with accreditation bodies, training institutions, and community stakeholders.

Moderator(s)

Grace Wang, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Advisor
Teaching Health Center and Rural Residency Planning and Development Technical Assistance Centers (THCPD & RRPD TAC), Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Technical Assistance Center (THCGME TAC)

PDF

Speaker(s)

Sodabeh Etminan, DMD, MPH

Senior Director of Oral Health
UI Health Mile Square Health Center
Laney McDougal, MS-HSM

Director, Medically Underserved Areas/Populations and GME
ACGME
Lori Rodefeld, MS

Deputy Director
UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research - Sheps GME Technical Assistance Center
Brent Simmons, MD, FAAFP

Chief Graduate Medical Education Officer, Program Director, DIO
Delaware Vally Community Health Inc Family Medicine Residency Program