Primary Care Training and Enhancement

The overarching purpose of the PCTE Program is to strengthen the primary care workforce by supporting enhanced training for future primary care. Activities include: (1) plan, develop, and operate a program that provides training experiences in new co

The Training Primary Care Champions (TPCC) Program (T13) strengthens primary care and the workforce by establishing fellowship programs to train community-based practicing primary care physician and/or physician assistant champions to lead health care transformation and enhance teaching in community-based settings. Awardees must develop academic-community partnerships to train and support primary care physician and or physician assistant champions to lead health care transformation in community-based settings and enhance teaching in community based settings. Applicants are encouraged to partner with National Health Service Corps-approved sites. The Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care (IBHPC) program (T0B) funds innovative training programs that integrate behavioral health care into primary care, particularly in rural and underserved settings with a special emphasis on the treatment of opioid use disorder. The Physician Assistant (PA) Program (D57) increases the number of primary care physician assistants, particularly in rural and underserved settings, and improve primary care training in order to strengthen access to and delivery of primary care services nationally. The PCTE Academic Units (AU) for Primary Care Training and Enhancement Program (UH1) provided the opportunity to request supplemental funding to continue to support collaborative activities that were intended to enable joint research, development of a common community of practice that assisted with dissemination and application of the research into education and practice, and developed plans for sustaining the scope of work of all six centers after federal funding. The PCTE-AU program ended in FY2021. The PCTE Residency Training in Primary Care (RTPC) Program (D58) supports the development of rural and/or underserved residency tracks within existing accredited residency programs for family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics and combined internal medicine and pediatrics (med-peds) programs. The PCTE-Community Prevention and Maternal Health (PCTE-CPMH) program (T34) program trains primary care physicians in maternal health care clinical services or population health in order to improve maternal health outcomes. The program will increase the number of primary care physicians trained in public health and general preventive medicine with maternal health care expertise and the number of primary care physicians trained in enhanced obstetrical care practicing in rural and/or underserved areas. The purpose of the PCTE-Physician Assistant Rural Training (PCTE-PAR) Program is to develop and implement longitudinal clinical rotations for physician assistant trainees in primary care in rural areas. The program also supports the training and development of preceptors in rural areas. The PCTE -Physician Assistant Rural Training in Behavioral Health (PCTE-PARB) Program (T8R) develops clinical rotations for primary care Physician Assistant students in rural areas. It addresses PA training for behavioral health conditions, including prevention, identification, diagnosis, treatment and referral services. The purpose of the PCTE - Language and Disability Access (PCTE-LDA) Program (T5C) is to improve health outcomes by developing curriculum and training medical students, physician assistant students, and primary care medical residents to provide high quality primary care services to individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The PCTE Residency Training in Street Medicine (RTSM) program (T35) provides training in care for the homeless, in accredited residency programs of family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics and combined internal medicine and pediatrics (med-peds).

Eligible entities include accredited public or nonprofit private hospitals, schools of allopathic or osteopathic medicine, academically affiliated physician assistant training programs, or a public or nonprofit private entity that the Secretary has determined is capable of carrying out such grants. Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Government and Native American Organizations may apply if they are otherwise eligible.

Beneficiaries include physician and physician assistant training programs that train medical students, physician assistant students, medical residents, practicing physician and physician assistants, and physician and physician assistant faculty.

PCTE Residency Training in Primary Care program, stipends are allowable for medical residents while training in rural and/or underserved areas in settings outside of the awardee institution, who are in the following resident specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics and combined internal medicine and pediatrics (med-peds) programs. Grants may not be used for new construction or patient services. Stipends are not allowed for residents or medical students, except for the RTPC program. Indirect costs under training awards will be budgeted and reimbursed at 8 percent of modified total direct costs rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement, and are not subject to upward or downward adjustment. For the PCTE-TPCC program, fringe benefits are not allowed for fellows receiving stipend support. Health insurance is allowable, but no other fringe benefits.

PCTE Residency Training in Primary Care program, stipends are allowable for medical residents while training in rural and/or underserved areas in settings outside of the awardee institution, who are in the following resident specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics and combined internal medicine and pediatrics (med-peds) programs. Grants may not be used for new construction or patient services. Stipends are not allowed for residents or medical students, except for the RTPC program. Indirect costs under training awards will be budgeted and reimbursed at 8 percent of modified total direct costs rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement, and are not subject to upward or downward adjustment. For the PCTE-TPCC program, fringe benefits are not allowed for fellows receiving stipend support. Health insurance is allowable, but no other fringe benefits.

Each funding opportunity provides support for a 5-year project period.

Procedures for assessing the technical merit of grant applications have been instituted to provide an objective review of applications and to assist the applicant in understanding the standards against which each application will be judged. Critical indicators have been developed for each review criterion to assist the applicant in presenting pertinent information related to that criterion and to provide the reviewer with a standard for evaluation. Competing applications are reviewed by non-federal expert consultant(s) for technical merit recommendations. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated against the following criteria: (1) Purpose and Need; (2) Response to Program Purpose; (3) Impact; (4) Organizational Information, Resources and Capabilities; and (5) Support Requested. See the most recent Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed selection criteria.

Notification of award is made in writing (electronic) through a Notice of Award.

Approximately 120 - 180 days after receipt of applications.

Depending on Agency priorities and availability of funding, during the final budget year of the approved project period competing continuation applications may be solicited from interested applicants.