CHOC has been awarded a grant to continue addressing a shortage of primary care providers in medically underserved areas and to attract members of underrepresented groups to its primary care residency and training program.
The award of $125,000 from the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is to increase the number of students and residents receiving primary care education and training in areas of unmet need throughout California.
The Song-Brown Program grant, for theperiod of 2024-2027, comes on the heels of an HCAI award of $250,000 for the 2022-2025 period and $125,000 for the 2023-2026 period.
“This latest grant is critical in supporting our pediatric trainees and helping us to prepare the next generation of outstanding pediatricians for Orange County and beyond,” said Dr. Coleen Cunningham, senior vice president and pediatrician in chief at CHOC and chair of the UCI Department of Pediatrics.
Gov. Ronald Reagan signed legislation in 1973 that enacted the Song-Brown Program.
“We’re excited to continue our work and further the goals of HCAI, including promoting the practice of primary care and expanding and diversifying the health workforce,” said Dr. Hillary Zieve, a CHOC pediatrician who primarily sees patients in two CHOC clinics in Santa Ana, Calif.
“This was a true team effort,” added Dr. Zieve, an assistant clinical professor in UCI’s department of pediatrics and associate program director of the UCI/CHOC pediatric residency program.
Helping to secure the $125,000 award were Veronica Melendez, residency coordinator for the UCI-CHOC pediatric residency program, and assistant residency coordinator Francisco Cruz, who provided support in outreach to resident alumni to complete the application, Dr. Zieve said.
In addition, she added, Michelle Lin, finance director of the UCI Department of Pediatrics, and Tram Le, a UCI contracts and grants analyst, assisted in identifying institutional resources to support the application and assisted in the financial aspects of the proposal. Kira Molas-Torreblanca, the UCI/CHOC residency program director, enthusiastically supported the effort.
Results of funding
With support from the Song Brown grant, the UCI/CHOC residency program has been able to improve primary care training with the establishment and implementation of the Primary Care Track. In June, the program will be graduating its third round of residents graduating with Distinction in Primary Care.
Many residents who have completed this track are currently practicing in California and serving populations with high medical needs.
In addition, Song Brown Program funding has led to the establishment of:
- PEDS-RISE, for Pediatric Educational Discussion Scenarios—Reflect, Inspire, Support, and Empower. The sessions empower all first-year residents to cope with difficult patient encounters and adverse medical events. A study is forthcoming on the effectiveness of the PEDS-RISE program, Dr. Zieve noted.
- HEARTi, for Health Equity, Anti-Racism, and Trauma-informed Care Rotation, a supplementary elective for fourth-year medical students who are underrepresented in medicine.
In addition, Song Brown Program funding supported five residents and two faculty to join the American Academy in Pediatrics California (AAP-CA) in Sacramento at last year’s Residency Advocacy Day and AAP-CA Legislative Day, Dr. Zieve said.
“We plan to send at least the same amount this upcoming May,” she added. “We’ve also been able to support residents and medical students present abstracts of their research in regard to pediatric primary care and pediatric training.”
