ATSU-SOMA receives $950k primary care grant

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded A.T. Still University’s School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) a $950,000 grant for pre-doctoral training in primary care. Frederic Schwartz, D.O., FACOFP, associate dean for ATSU-SOMA Community Campuses is principal investigator of the project; Mara Hover D.O., director of the ATSU-SOMA Clinical Affairs Unit is co-principal investigator. “The project’s goals are to establish a master’s of public health (MPH) degree track for ATSU-SOMA trainees and to develop competency-based evaluation mechanisms for third- and fourth-year students’ clinical experiences,” said Dr. Schwartz.

ATSU-SOMA students spend three years completing their medical school education at one of 11 National Association of Community Health Center’s community campuses across the country. Each community campus serves a unique population, which includes the homeless, migrant workers, uninsured families, and ethnically diverse patients in rural and urban settings.

“HealthSource of Mt. Oreb, Ohio and HealthPoint of Seattle, Wash., have already established articulation agreements with local colleges to enhance the referral of students who have both the ‘heart’ for service and the learning skills package for success in serving the underserved,” said Dr. Schwartz. Waianae Comprehensive Health Center in Waianae, Hawaii, is a partner with Honolulu’s Chaminade University in a similar agreement. All of the community campuses are working to enhance the training pipeline via articulation agreements.

“HRSA has been wonderfully supportive in recognizing our efforts to train physicians who will select needed specialties and begin practice in underserved communities,” said Thomas McWilliams, D.O., FACOFP, interim dean, ATSU-SOMA. This grant expands opportunities in public health training and helps align our evaluation process with those that will be used during the student’s residency training.”