CMU Medical Education Partners awarded $750k to expand health care access in underserved areas

SAGINAW, Mich. – CMU Medical Education Partners (CMEP) has received a $750,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) through the competitive Rural Residency Planning and Development Program. This marks the first time an organization in Michigan has received this esteemed federal award aimed at improving access to health care in rural communities.

“With the leverage of this award, we will explore the options of creating a sustainable model to address a critical shortage of physicians in rural areas,” said President and CEO Samuel Shaheen, MD, of CMEP. “This opportunity allows both medical students and residents to experience the quality of life in these communities, which may also inspire them to build their careers in the very same areas.”

The funding is an exploratory initiative to create a rural residency track in family medicine within Michigan’s Thumb region. Through a partnership with CMEP, Scheurer Health and Covenant HealthCare, CMU College of Medicine and CMEP family medicine residents would complete at least 51% of their training at Scheurer and other nearby rural sites.

“Covenant HealthCare is thrilled to support this effort with Scheurer and CMEP to participate in the development of a focused rural residency in the Great Lakes Bay region,” said President and CEO Beth Charlton of Covenant HealthCare. “Extraordinary care requires extraordinary physicians and developing an inspired talent pipeline dedicated to that effort, paramount. We are excited and grateful for this opportunity.”

According to Michigan Center for Data and Analytics in 2024, Michigan has 83 counties, of which 53 are classified as rural. Nationally, more than 60 million Americans reside in rural areas where research highlights disparities in health care access. Rural patients often experience worse health outcomes due to the lack of medical services and access to high-quality care.

“Physician shortages are a significant problem throughout the country which are magnified in rural areas,” said CEO Ross Ramsey, MD, at Scheurer Health. “We are excited that Scheurer Health can help address this shortage by providing training that will help provide a pipeline of physicians for rural Michigan and the Thumb.”

Currently, there are no accredited rural residency program tracks identified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in Michigan. This three-year grant enables CMEP to build an infrastructure required to apply for official rural track accreditation with ACGME.

Bethany Figg, associate designated institution official and director of graduate medical education at CMEP, stated, “Rural training will provide our learners with a chance to care for patients in settings where connections run deep and communities quickly feel like home. Those experiences often stay with them, inspiring many to put down roots and continue practicing where their skills are needed most.”

Upon approval, leaders at CMEP expect their first cohort of residents in July 2027.

About CMU Medical Education Partners

CMU Medical Education Partners, doing business as CMU Health, is a consortium advancing graduate medical education in partnership with Covenant HealthCare and MyMichigan Medical Center Saginaw, leading Central Michigan University College of Medicine’s residency and fellowship programs. CMU Health’s nationally recognized physicians train residents and deliver high-quality patient care across its health care system in the Great Lakes Bay Region and affiliated partner locations.