Profession
Grant expected to bring 50 new doctors to rural Mass.
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 16, 2007
A $5 million grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will help primary care physicians repay their medical school debt in exchange for working in eastern Massachusetts' underserved areas.
The program is expected to add 50 physicians to the region over five years, creating room for 65,000 additional patients.The grant will benefit 24 centers managed by Partners HealthCare. It will repay physicians' educational debt up to $25,000 a year for a maximum of $75,000 over three years, according to the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. To participate, physicians must agree to work at least two years in a community health center.
Joan Pernice, clinical director of the league, said they hoped to begin taking applications soon.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick in a statement said the grant was timely because the state has mandated that all its residents carry health insurance. "Health care coverage without access is meaningless," he said.
As of July 1, about 140,000 individuals will qualify for subsidized health insurance, said the league. The group estimates that at least 100 more community health center physicians will be needed to meet demand from existing patients and new ones. The league is seeking other funding for a similar program to benefit its remaining 28 centers.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/04/16/prbf0416.htm.