The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched an online application portal for the new Pilot Program for Graduate Medical Education and Residency. This initiative aims to expand healthcare access for veterans nationwide.
The program will reimburse salaries and benefits for at least 100 physician residents who rotate to covered healthcare facilities, prioritizing those in rural and underserved areas, Indian Tribe or Tribal organizations, and Indian Health Service facilities. Other eligible facilities include Federally Qualified Health Centers, Department of Defense facilities, and other locations deemed appropriate by the VA.
A priority of the VA and the Biden-Harris Administration is ensuring that veterans have access to high-quality care regardless of their location. Over the past year, the VA has implemented various measures to expand access to care, such as adding night and weekend clinics, increasing daily clinic appointments, partnering with Department of Defense facilities, and hiring new clinicians. These efforts have reduced wait times for new patients and increased trust in VA outpatient care to a record high of 91.8%.
“This program will place physician residents where they are needed most — in rural and underserved communities across America,” said VA Chief Academic Affiliations Officer Marjorie Bowman, M.D. “For Veterans, this program will make it easier to access the health care they need and deserve.”
The VA has been instrumental in educating health professionals for nearly eight decades. Nearly 70% of all U.S. physicians have trained at VA facilities, with approximately 120,000 clinicians training annually across more than 1,000 VA healthcare sites under its Office of Academic Affiliations.
Academic institutions interested in participating must apply by September 30, 2024. Selected programs will be notified in November 2024 for resident rotations scheduled between July 2025 and June 2026. An online public information session will be held on August 21 at 2 p.m. ET.
The pilot program was established under Section 403 of the MISSION Act. For more details on the information session and the program itself, visit the Office of Academic Affiliations.
