Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program

Indiana Health Centers, Inc. (IHC) received a $500,000 Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program (THCGME) award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on March 15, 2023. The grant positions IHC to establish a new, accredited, community-based family medicine residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The program is designed specifically to address physician shortages in Indiana’s rural communities by training residents in community-based ambulatory patient care centers and preparing them to deliver high-quality care in underserved and diverse populations.

To accomplish this, IHC has identified Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) as a key partner to plan, develop and implement the residency program. This initiative will help ensure compassionate, highly skilled osteopathic physicians, many of whom pursue primary care, stay to practice in the area. The partnership aims to leverage Marian COM’s educational resources and IHC’s longstanding clinical presence—serving rural, urban, underserved, and minority populations since 1977—to create a training environment that embeds residents in the communities they will serve. Under the planned program, family medicine residents will spend at least 50% of their training time at IHC clinics, with opportunities to spend remaining training periods at various rural hospitals throughout Indiana. This community-focused training model is intended to enhance clinical competencies relevant to rural practice settings and to increase the likelihood that trainees will remain in underserved areas after completing residency.

The planned ACGME-accredited family medicine residency will integrate clinical training across IHC clinics and rural hospitals, fostering clinical exposure to the unique needs of rural populations. By situating a substantial portion of training within community health centers, the program seeks to equip residents with the skills and experience necessary for long-term practice in underserved regions.