Rural residency planning and development program - applicant facility type: rural hospital program pathways: general primary care and high need specialty pathway residency

The Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals awarded Princeton Community Hospital Association, Inc. $750,000 on August 1, 2026, under the Rural Health Research Centers program (CFDA 93.155) to develop a new ACGME-accredited Family Medicine residency program serving eight rural Appalachian counties in southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia.

The proposed 12-resident (4-4-4) Family Medicine residency program will be sponsored by WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital in Princeton, West Virginia, and will serve Mercer, McDowell, Monroe, Summers, and Wyoming Counties in West Virginia and Bland, Giles, and Tazewell Counties in Virginia—a service area of approximately 180,806 residents characterized by primary care physician shortages, an aging population, high chronic disease rates, and limited access to graduate medical education. Expected ACGME sponsoring institution accreditation is January 2027, with Family Medicine program accreditation expected in July 2028 and first resident matriculation in July 2029. The sponsoring institution code is 550064 (pending accreditation).

The project period runs August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2029. The recipient proposes to sustain the program through Medicare Direct Graduate Medical Education (DGME), Indirect Medical Education (IME), and ongoing institutional support. No prior HRSA award to this applicant is known.

Residency medical specialty: family medicine residency format: rural residency program (non-RTP) sponsoring institution: WVU medicine princeton community hospital location: princeton, WV ACGME sponsoring institution code: 550064 (pending sponsoring institution accreditation) service area: eight rural appalachian counties in southern west virginia and southwest virginia target counties: mercer, mcdowell, monroe, summers, wyoming (WV); bland, giles, tazewell (VA) funding requested: $750,000 program sustainability option: medicare direct graduate medical education (DGME), indirect medical education (IME), and ongoing institutional support. Project period: 8/1/2026 through 7/31/2029 proposed residency size: 12 residents; (4-4-4) expected ACGME sponsoring institution accreditation: 1/2027 expected family medicine program accreditation: 7/2028 expected first resident matriculation: 7/1/2029 previous hrsa award: none known the applicant proposes to develop a new accreditation council for graduate medical education (ACGME)-accredited family medicine residency program to strengthen the rural primary care workforce serving an eight-county appalachian region spanning southern west virginia and southwest virginia. The proposed service area encompasses approximately 180,806 residents and is characterized by persistent primary care physician shortages, an aging population, high rates of chronic disease, socioeconomic disadvantage, and limited access to graduate medical education. Despite the presence of residency programs in neighboring regions, significant geographic, transportation, and socioeconomic barriers continue to limit access to graduate medical education and primary care throughout southern west virginia and southwest virginia. Mountainous terrain, an aging population, and persistent workforce shortages create unique challenges that support the need for an additional rural physician training program. Residents will train at princeton community hospital, a rural regional referral hospital offering comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services, advanced cardiovascular care including diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization, expanding oncology services, behavioral health experiences through the pavilion, telemedicine partnerships, and a longstanding history of medical student education. The applicant is pursuing ACGME sponsoring institution accreditation and development of its first family medicine residency program. Princeton community hospital has an established history of clinical education for medical students and is building upon this clinical educational foundation to improve physician recruitment and retention. The project will establish the institutional infrastructure necessary to support graduate medical education, including completion of sponsoring institution and family medicine program accreditation, faculty development, curriculum design, recruitment planning, evaluation systems, and sustainable program governance. Educational innovation will emphasize evidence-based rural primary care, simulation-based education, and point-of-care ultrasound. The project will also establish a lifestyle medicine and culinary education laboratory designed to integrate nutrition, chronic disease prevention, and community engagement into resident education. Upon successful completion of the planning period, the institution will be positioned to matriculate its inaugural class of four family medicine residents in july 2029. Successful completion of this project will establish a sustainable rural family medicine residency program that strengthens the physician workforce, improves access to comprehensive primary care, and enhances the long-term health of rural appalachian communities.