Project Grant T3555570

Federal Grant Award Summary

West Virginia University received a $498,605 Project Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Health Professionals under the Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE) program (CFDA 93.884), effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031. The award funds the "Inspire to Empower" initiative to establish formalized street medicine residency training for primary care physicians in rural Appalachia, addressing the critical need for trauma-informed care for individuals experiencing homelessness. The project will expand rural street medicine education by establishing a required 4-week rotation for postgraduate year 2 and 3 (PGY2 and PGY3) residents and creating a dedicated Community & Street Medicine track offering longitudinal education in chronic disease management, harm reduction, behavioral health, and advocacy.

The initiative will enhance clinical and educational capabilities through multiple complementary components, including the development of an interdisciplinary training model that integrates social workers, legal professionals, peer recovery specialists, and other healthcare professionals into residency education. The project will establish a centralized referral and call system to improve care coordination and access to medical, behavioral health, and social services, and will create sustainable partnerships with shelters, outreach teams, and harm reduction programs to enable training in non-traditional care settings. These deliverables directly address West Virginia's elevated opioid overdose death rate (80.9 per 100,000 people) and the documented 24% increase in homelessness since 2021, supporting the PCTE program's mission to strengthen the primary care workforce through enhanced training for underserved populations.