Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM), in partnership with the Sam Houston Regional Education Consortium (SHREC) and Huntsville Memorial Hospital (HMH), has received a $500,000 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board through the Rural Resident Physician Program (RRPP). This funding will support the expansion of the HMH Family Medicine Residency Program, bringing more healthcare providers to the area and increasing access to primary care in Walker County and surrounding rural communities.
The grant will fund the hiring of a director of rural education, who will serve as core faculty for the existing residency program, help lead the expansion from four to six residents per year and play a key role in developing at least one new rural training track (RTT) in partnership with one of SHSU-COM’s clinical affiliates. This new track is specifically designed to prepare residents for the unique challenges of rural healthcare. These efforts align with the long-term vision to develop sustainable pipelines of physicians prepared to serve rural and underserved populations across Texas, starting in SHSU-COM’s own backyard.
