CMS awards 200 new physician residencies at hospitals serving underserved communities

by Christopher Cheney, senior clinical care​ editor at HealthLeaders

On Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the first 200 of 1,000 Medicare-funded physician residencies to bolster the physician workforce and add physicians at hospitals serving underserved communities.

The new residencies are designed to improve health equity and access to care. The emphasis of the new residencies is on primary care and behavioral health, with 125 of the residencies for primary care and 20 of the residencies for psychiatry. The residencies will be effective July 1, 2023.

The Fiscal Year 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule created 1,000 new Medicare-funded physician residency slots to qualifying hospitals authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. There will be 200 slots phased in per year over five years.

For the new residencies, CMS prioritized hospitals with training programs in geographic areas with greatest need for additional clinicians, as determined by Health Professional Shortage Areas. The new residencies were awarded to 100 teaching hospitals across 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. They will be effective July 1, 2023.

Source: Healthleaders