AACOM Fellowship Graduates Advance Rural and Community Health

Inaugural projects pave way for critical GME development

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Bethesda, MD) – Today, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), in partnership with the University of North Carolina (UNC) Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, celebrates the graduation of its inaugural class of the AACOM/UNC Sheps Center Graduate Medical Education (GME) Development Fellowship.

“This initiative began with a question,” said AACOM President and CEO Robert A. Cain, DO. “How can we better equip our institutions to lead GME expansion in community-based, underserved and rural settings? Our goal was not just to teach how to start a residency program, but to build leaders who can think strategically, advocate effectively and develop sustainable models for GME. Our 32 inaugural graduates mark a new generation of leaders who understand the link between education and access, and mission and workforce.”

"It has been a privilege to support this outstanding cohort of fellows as they worked to expand graduate medical education in community-based and underserved areas,” said Lori Rodefeld, deputy director, UNC Cecil G. Sheps GME Technical Assistance Centers. “Their collective efforts—from launching new programs and sponsoring institutions to building sustainable infrastructure—are already making a tangible impact. By increasing training opportunities where they’re needed most, these leaders are strengthening the physician workforce and shaping the future of GME with creativity, dedication and purpose."

The fellowship is an innovative partnership between AACOM and the UNC Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research designed to foster leaders in GME. Through the 10-month interactive program, fellows learned the latest on GME development strategies and collaborated with national experts and mentors. Working with mentors, fellows crafted capstone projects to enhance rural healthcare access, develop rural physician training and leadership, meet urgent maternal health needs, drive policy changes and educate others on how to engage in the legislative process, among other topics.

Key outcomes include:

• A Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Residency Planning and Development grant award
• Funding and support for GME expansion and development across participating states
• Practical tools such as financial pro formas, curriculum frameworks and onboarding resources to sustain GME infrastructure

To learn more about the fellowship and the 32 inaugural graduates, view the program web page.

About AACOM:

Founded in 1898, the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) is the leading voice for the education and training of physicians who practice osteopathic medicine in settings across the medical spectrum—from primary care to the full range of medical specialties. We support our member colleges of osteopathic medicine in their efforts to attract and train individuals who are fueled by a desire to make a difference in our healthcare system by treating the whole person and building a future emphasizing health and wellness for all people. Today, more than 38,000 future physicians—close to 30 percent of all U.S. medical students—are being educated at one of our 43 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine, encompassing 70 teaching locations in 36 states. To learn more about AACOM, please visit our website.

About the Sheps Center:

The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research seeks to improve the health of individuals, families and populations by understanding the problems, issues and alternatives in the design and delivery of healthcare services. This is accomplished through an interdisciplinary program of research, consultation, technical assistance and training that focuses on timely and policy-relevant questions concerning the accessibility, adequacy, organization, cost, effectiveness and equity of healthcare services and the dissemination of this information to policymakers and the general public.

Contacts:

Joseph Shapiro
Director of Media Relations
(240) 938-0746
jshapiro@aacom.org

Christine DeCarlo
Senior Manager of Media and Public Affairs
(202) 603-1026
cdecarlo@aacom.org