Project Grant T8R53166

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT: PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT RURAL TRAINING IN MENTAL AND BEHAV. HLTH - UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER SAN ANTONIO PROJECT DIRECTOR - TIFFANI BURGIN, DMSC, MPAS, PA-C 7703 FLOYD CURL DR. PHONE: (210) 567-4245 FAX: (210) 567-4241 MS #6249 EMAIL: BURGINT@UTHSCSA.EDU SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78229 GRANT FUNDS REQUESTED: YEAR ONE: $325,028 YEAR TWO: $406,965 YEAR THREE: $412, 241 YEAR FOUR: $414,871 YEAR FIVE: $414,939 NEEDS ADDRESSED: IN TEXAS, ABOUT TWENTY PERCENT OF ITS RESIDENTS CALL RURAL AREAS HOME; HOWEVER, THEY FACE SHORTFALLS OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS. INTEGRATED CLINICAL CARE EXPERIENCE IN RURAL TEXAS (ICCERT) TARGETS THREE PRESSING NEEDS PREVALENT IN RURAL TEXAS COMMUNITIES: ENHANCING ACCESS TO MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES, INCREASING TRAINED PROVIDERS TO PRESCRIBE MEDICATIONS OF OPIOID USE DISORDER (MOUD), AND TACKLING THE SCARCITY OF PRIMARY HEALTH PROVIDERS. THROUGH A STRATEGIC APPROACH FOCUSED ON TRAINING PA STUDENTS AND PROVIDING SUPPORT TO PRACTICING PAS, OUR INITIATIVE AIMS TO DIRECTLY INFLUENCE HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND ELEVATE ITS QUALITY IN UNDERSERVED RURAL AREAS. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT: ICCERT AIMS TO IMPART SPECIALIZED TRAINING TO PARTICIPATING PA STUDENTS. EACH TRAINEE ROTATES AT A RURAL CLINIC WHICH COMBINES BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND PRIMARY CARE. TRAINEES WILL PARTICIPATE IN A COMBINED DIDACTIC AND CLINICAL CURRICULUM FOCUSED ON THE MANAGEMENT, PREVENTION, AND REFERRAL OF PATIENTS WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. AN INTERPROFESSIONAL EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITY WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE EXPERIENCES IN THIS AREA OF FOCUS. ADDITIONALLY, WE AIM TO BOOST THE ABILITIES OF PAS CURRENTLY WORKING IN RURAL CLINICS THROUGH TARGETED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. LIVING AND TRAINING WILL BE FACILITATED BY GRANT FUNDING AT NO EXPENSE TO THE STUDENTS TO PROMOTE A STRESS-FREE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. POPULATION GROUPS SERVED: ICCERT AIMS TO DIRECTLY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN EAGLE PASS, UVALDE, SONORA AND BANDERA, TX BY DISMANTLING BARRIERS TO ESSENTIAL HEALTHCARE SERVICES. TO INCENTIVIZE OUR PA STUDENTS TO PURSUE RURAL PRACTICE POST-GRADUATION, WE WILL IMMERSE THEM IN RURAL CLINICAL SETTINGS FOR AN ENTIRE SEMESTER OF HANDS-ON TRAINING. PROPOSED SERVICES: 1. PA STUDENT CLINICAL TRAINING IN RURAL AREAS: PA STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THREE TO FOUR INTEGRATED CLINICAL ONE-MONTH ROTATIONS PROVIDING THEM WITH FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE IN A RURAL SETTING. 2. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: IN COLLABORATION, FACULTY, PRECEPTORS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WILL DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE DIDACTIC AND CLINICAL CURRICULUM COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION IN PRIMARY CARE AND PROPER MOUD USE. 3. INTERPROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (IPE) LEARNING: TRAINEES WILL PARTICIPATE IN MOUD TRAINING THAT WILL INCLUDE MONTHLY IPE CASE STUDY SESSIONS AND A FULL-DAY TRAINING SEMINAR. 4. SUPPORT FOR PRACTICING PAS: PROVIDE CONTINUING EDUCATION TO STRENGTHEN SKILLS AND RESOURCES THAT CONNECT PARTICIPANTS WITH MENTORS, CONFERENCES, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN THE APPROACH TO QUALITY CARE INCLUDING SEVERAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TOPICS AND SPECIFICALLY SUD AND MOUD TRAINING. THIS TRAINING WILL NOT ONLY FULFILL REGULATORY OBLIGATIONS BUT ALSO FOSTER NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN RURAL MEDICAL PROVIDERS AND MOUD EXPERTS, ENABLING PROACTIVE LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE TO AID IN COMBATING THE STIGMA OF DRUG ABUSE IN THE RURAL SETTING. 5. PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: STRENGTHEN EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES AND FOSTER NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH RURAL HEALTHCARE FACILITIES AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO ENHANCE CLINICAL ROTATIONS, EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, AND EFFORTS TO GROW RURAL CLINICAL SITE OPPORTUNITIES. 6. RESEARCH AND EVALUATION: ASSESS THE IMPACT OF RURAL TRAINING ON HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES AMONG STUDENTS, PRACTICING PAS, PRECEPTORS, AND PATIENTS THROUGH FEEDBACK AND PERFORMANCE DATA. UTILIZE AND COMPLETE FEDERALLY DESIGNED EVALUATIONS TO ASSESS PROGRAM EFFECTIVENES S AND EFFICIENCY.