Project Grant P1355807

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals awarded the University of Wyoming $749,881 on August 1, 2026, to plan and develop the Buffalo Rural Training Program (B-RTP), a new family medicine residency track under the Rural Health Research Centers program (CFDA 93.155).

The award funds the establishment of a new rural residency pathway in family medicine with enhanced obstetric and maternity training, preparing physicians for full-scope rural practice in Johnson County, Wyoming, a frontier county with approximately 8,500 residents. The program follows a 1+2 model in which PGY-1 training occurs at the University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Program in Casper, and PGY-2 and PGY-3 training occur at Johnson County Healthcare Center (JCHC), placing more than 50 percent of training in a rural setting. The University of Wyoming serves as the ACGME-accredited sponsoring institution (institutional sponsor code #579501), with headquarters at 1000 E. University Avenue, Laramie, Wyoming 82071.

The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029. The program targets ACGME accreditation by academic year 2028–2029, with recruitment in academic year 2029–2030 and the first resident matriculating in July 2030. Three residents are projected overall, one per year. Sustainability strategies include Medicare residency training FTE-cap expansion via Banner Wyoming Medical Center, cost-based reimbursement at JCHC, and other public or private funding sources.