Grants are a Part of the Health Plan’s $155 Million Elevating the Safety Net Initiative
LOS ANGELES - L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, has announced its third round of Residency Support Program grants as part of the five-year, $155 million Elevating the Safety Net initiative (ESN). The health plan is committing more than $3.2 million to support 25 residency positions at four medical institutions in Los Angeles County. Nineteen of these positions were created in two previous grants. This is all part of L.A. Care’s efforts to address a growing physician shortage. Last year, an Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) report found the nation faces a shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033, confirming an earlier report out of UC San Francisco that showed California is especially vulnerable.
“Recent research shows that the majority of physicians will stay and practice in the city where they completed their residency. By creating more residency positions in L.A. County, we will help ensure that L.A. Care members always have access to high quality care,” said John Baackes, L.A. Care CEO. “The medical institutions we are working with have committed to educating the residents on best practices for treating underserved populations, which will lead to better health outcomes among Medi-Cal members and will advance L.A. Care’s commitment to health equity.”
L.A. Care’s 2021 Residency Support Program grants will support residency slots starting in fall 2022 at the following institutions:
White Memorial Medical Center Charitable Foundation
AltaMed Health Services Corporation
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
The first two rounds of the Residency Support Program committed more than $9.6 million to establish 38 new residency positions in L.A. County. Some of that funding also supported faculty positions. L.A. Care’s total commitment to support 44 residency positions in safety net settings is $12.8 million.
Elevating the Safety Net launched in 2018 with three initial programs – a provider recruitment program, a provider loan repayment program, and a medical school scholarship program. Since the launch, 136 new physicians have been hired, and 108 physicians have been approved for loan repayment grants. Thirty-two students have received full scholarships to medical school. Sixteen are attending the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and 16 are attending the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
In addition to the Residency Support Program, ESN has grown to include an In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Home Care Training Program, a Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program, and a health career internship program.
L.A. Care is committed to health equity, and the ESN initiative will help provide a fair and just opportunity for our members and their communities to be as healthy as possible.