HHS awards more than $155M for primary care training expansion

The HHS announced more than $155 million in awards for primary care and dental residency programs through the Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA.

According to an HHS press release, the awards are being presented as part of President Joe Biden’s Unity Agenda to address the mental health crisis in the United States.

The awards will support 72 teaching health centers operating residency training programs with medical and mental health programs benefitting rural and underserved communities. Specifically, $135 million in American Rescue Plan funds will support new resident positions at existing and new teaching health centers, and $20 million in funds from the 2022 fiscal year supporting existing residency programs during the upcoming academic year.

“We are leading the effort to build a stronger primary care and mental health workforce to meet the needs of historically underserved communities by supporting primary care training programs that include psychiatry,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, said in the release. “The American Rescue Plan has been a game-changer for growing this critical program and helping us build a workforce that best reflects and serves the communities that need these resources the most.”