FEDERAL ADVOCACY
Advancing Community-Based Graduate Medical Education
The American Association of Teaching Health Centers (AATHC) advocates for federal policies that strengthen community-based graduate medical education and expand access to primary care in rural and underserved communities. Working with Congress, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), federal agencies, and national coalition partners, AATHC promotes policies that ensure Teaching Health Centers (THCs) can recruit, train, and retain the next generation of primary care physicians and dentists where they are needed most.
Our advocacy is grounded in one principle: training physicians in the communities they will serve leads to better access to care, stronger health systems, and healthier communities.
AATHC’s advocacy is currently focused on four priorities that strengthen the long-term sustainability and growth of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program.
ADVOCACY
Priorities
Securing Long-Term Stability
In February 2026, Congress enacted the first multi-year reauthorization in the history of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program, providing a four-year funding pathway through Fiscal Year 2029. This historic, landmark legislation represents the most significant investment in the program since its creation and gives Teaching Health Centers greater certainty to recruit residents, expand training opportunities, and strengthen the primary care workforce. AATHC is proud to have worked alongside congressional champions and national coalition partners over many years to help secure this historic, bipartisan achievement.
Ensuring Sustainable Program Funding
Building on this historic achievement, AATHC is focused on ensuring the program's long-term sustainability by modernizing the Per Resident Allocation (PRA). The current PRA remains at $160,000 per resident despite rising educational, clinical, and operational costs. A 2022 HRSA-commissioned study found the average cost of training a Teaching Health Center resident to be substantially higher than the current allocation — closer to $227,000. AATHC supports updating the PRA to better reflect actual training costs so existing programs remain financially sustainable and can continue preparing physicians and dentists for communities experiencing persistent workforce shortages.
Building the Next Generation
Today's Planning and Development (THCPD) programs represent tomorrow's Teaching Health Centers. AATHC supports policies that create a clear, funded pathway for planning and development grantees to transition into operational THCGME status. Strengthening this pipeline will allow new communities to establish residency programs and expand access to community-based primary care training across the country.
Shaping the Future of THCGME
The successful multi-year reauthorization of THCGME marked an important milestone — not the end of AATHC's advocacy efforts. With long-term legislative stability now in place, AATHC is expanding its focus to the regulatory, administrative, and operational issues that shape how the program functions in practice. Through member-led task forces and engagement with federal partners, AATHC is developing policy recommendations that support Teaching Health Centers and strengthen community-based graduate medical education.
COALITION ADVOCACY
AATHC works in partnership with national organizations committed to strengthening primary care and community-based graduate medical education. Together, we advocate for policies that improve access to care, support physician workforce development, and ensure Teaching Health Centers remain a vital part of the nation's health care system.
Our coalition partners include: National Association of Community Health Centers, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Council of Academic Family Medicine, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Osteopathic Association, and Society of General Internal Medicine.
Why Teaching Health Centers Matter
Teaching Health Centers are the only federal graduate medical education program that trains physicians and dentists primarily in community-based ambulatory settings rather than hospitals. Research consistently demonstrates that physicians are more likely to practice where they train, making the THCGME program one of the nation's most effective investments in expanding access to primary care for underserved communities.
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