PCH awarded $750,000 to develop family medicine residency program
PRINCETON, W.Va. — WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital (PCH) has been awarded a $750,000 federal grant to support the development of a new Family Medicine Residency Program focused on preparing physicians to serve rural and underserved communities.
The three-year Rural Residency Planning and Development Program grant was awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. The funding will support the planning and development work necessary to establish a sustainable, accredited rural residency program at PCH.
“Building a stronger physician workforce in southern West Virginia begins with creating opportunities for physicians to train here, develop relationships with our communities and see firsthand the rewards of practicing rural medicine,” said Karen L. Bowling, president and CEO of PCH. “This grant gives us important resources to move that work forward.”
Bowling also thanked U.S. Rep. Carol Miller for her work to elevate the need for rural residency programs and expand opportunities to train physicians in communities where they are most needed.
“We are grateful to Congresswoman Miller for recognizing that rural communities need sustainable solutions to physician shortages,” Bowling said. “Her advocacy has helped bring attention to the importance of developing residency programs in rural hospitals and communities like ours.”
PCH is currently developing its Family Medicine Residency Program, which is pending applicable institutional and program accreditation approvals. Its vision is to create a sustainable, community-centered training environment that attracts, trains, and retains physicians committed to improving health outcomes in rural and underserved populations.
Instructions for applicants interested in completing a residency at PCH will be posted in the coming months.
Under the federal grant requirements, PCH will work to become accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and develop a program training physicians to meet the clinical needs of rural populations.
The grant period runs through July 31, 2029.
About WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital
WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital is leading health care in the two Virginias. PCH operates a fully accredited 203-bed acute care medical facility, a 64-bed psychiatric hospital, and an emergency department and outpatient services facility in Bluefield. PCH operates seven primary care clinics, 11 specialty clinics and three rural imaging clinics, offering a wide range of care to a 10-county region.