US Health and Human Services announced September 17, 2010 that it was awarding $130 million to strengthen and expand the health professions workforce.  Six areas are targeted: primary care workforce training, oral health workforce training, equipment to enhance training across the health professions, loan repayments for health professionals, health careers opportunity programs for disadvantaged students, and Patient Navigator outreach and chronic disease prevention in health disparity populations.

North Carolina will receive $2.5 million for primary care education. The grants will support family medicine, general internal medicine, and general pediatrics programs, including curriculum development, faculty development, didactic and community-based education, and training in underserved areas for primary care residents, pre-doctoral students, interdisciplinary and inter-professional graduate students, and physician assistant students.

Learn more about the HHS grants at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/09/20100917a.html.

See how North Carolina compares to other states at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/09/state_charts.html.