Rural residency planning and development program - central michigan university college of medicine - CMU medical education PARTNERS (PARTNERS) is a new rppd applicant, and an eligible entity due to…

Federal Grant Award Summary

CMU Medical Education Partners (CMEP), doing business as Saginaw Cooperative Hospitals Inc., received a $749,799 Project Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Health Professionals under the Rural Health Research Centers program (CFDA 93.155) on August 1, 2025, with a completion date of July 31, 2028. The award funds the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RPPD) Program to establish a new rural family medicine residency track at Scheurer Health, a critical access hospital in Michigan's Thumb region that has not previously operated Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs. The initiative will create six full-time equivalent (FTE) family medicine resident positions (2-2-2 across training years) with residents spending more than 51% of their training in the rural critical access hospital setting.

The program delivers specialized medical education and training services targeting primary care physician workforce development in underserved rural areas. Residents will receive continuity clinic training at Scheurer Hospital serving high-acuity, low-resourced patients under an experienced rural family physician site director, while maintaining program administration through CMEP offices. The clinical sites operate in Primary Care, Dental, and Mental Health Health Professional Shortage Areas and medically underserved areas serving low-income populations, with services including primary care delivery and health screenings designed to address rural healthcare access challenges in Michigan.

Rural residency planning and development program - central michigan university college of medicine - CMU medical education PARTNERS (PARTNERS) is a new rppd applicant, and an eligible entity due to its status as a GME consortium for more than 50 years that operates an accredited primary care residency program. The family medicine (FM) program was first accredited by the accreditation council for graduate medical education (ACGME) on december 3, 1969 (ACGME program #1202531174). Information on the residency program can be viewed at MED.cmich.EDU/residency. The FM residency program at central michigan university college of medicine/CMU medical education PARTNERS is part of a GME consortium which includes two community hospitals (covenant healthcare and mymichigan saginaw), a university medical school (central michigan university college of medicine) and PARTNERS, an educational institution. The proposed rural residency program track will take place in an affiliated critical access hospital, scheurer health, which has never had GME programs. These new FM resident positions will be maintained at the critical access hospital in a rural area for more than 51% of their training which provides services that include primary care and health screenings for the underserved rural populations in the thumb area of michigan. PARTNERS houses the offices for the program director, associate program director, coordinator and other faculty who manage the program. Scheurer hospital will become rural residents' continuity clinic caring for high acuity, low-resourced patients, overseen by an experienced rural family physician site director who will become a core faculty member in the training program. The critical access hospital and clinics are in a primary care, dental and mental health hpsa area, and a medically underserved area specifically for low-income population. The total FTE positions requested for expansion from the ACGME for all years of training is 6 (2-2-2). Our primary goal is to increase access to high-quality healthcare for the patients in michigan's thumb region?by expanding the rural primary care physician workforce through residency training. Our primary outcome measurement will reflect our goal - the percent of RTP-trained residents that remain within the rural community of michigan. With this commitment to rural health, PARTNERS will continue to expand upon its mission of advancing health and wellness through exceptional education, innovative research, quality patient care and strategic collaborations to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities.