Programs Awarded HRSA Funding to Support Language and Disability Access Training 

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has announced the recipients for the first award cycle of the Primary Care Training and Enhancement – Language and Disability Access (PCTE-LDA) program. Among the recipients for this cycle are several PA programs including those at the University of Utah, Stanford University, Idaho State University, and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. 

The PCTE-LDA program, a new offering within the broader suite of PCTE competitions, is designed to support curriculum development and clinical rotations for PA students, medical students, and medical residents to ensure high-quality care for those with limited English proficiency and/or individuals with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities. PA program grantees under the offering are required to use funding to support rotations that last at least two months to provide extended student exposure to patients facing these unusual challenges in accessing care. 

In alignment with these overarching program goals, PA program recipients of PCTE-LDA awards have proposed a variety of strategies to increase student preparedness to provide access to linguistically appropriate care.

• Idaho State University will leverage its PCTE-LDA award to partner with clinics serving both Hispanic and Latino patients with limited English proficiency and non-Spanish-speaking populations with limited English proficiency to provide 10-week longitudinal PA clinical rotation sites in community-based settings.
• Stanford University will similarly select a portion of enrolled students within each cohort to undergo extensive Spanish language training and longitudinal clinical training experiences in underserved communities with a high percentage of Spanish-speaking patients. 

To ensure graduate preparedness to provide high-quality care to patients with disabilities, other grantees proposed to use their funding to develop educational tracks for students focused on this population.

• University of Utah will create a PD/IDD Scholar program for 20 students over four years providing intensive didactic and clinical education on the care of patients with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.
• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science students will participate in clinical rotations funded through PCTE-LDA focused on the care of patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 

While PCTE-LDA is the first competition under the PCTE umbrella focused on patients with disabilities or limited English proficiency, it is not the only funding opportunity anticipated from HRSA this year. Recently, HRSA released a funding forecast for an additional competition – the PCTE – Physician Assistant Rural Training in Behavioral Health program – seeking to expand access to mental and behavioral health rotations in underserved communities. This competition is anticipated to be released later this fall and will be announced via PAEA’s communications channels for interested applicants when available. 

PAEA’s Government Relations team would like to congratulate the member programs that received funding through the PCTE-LDA program. Members with questions about HRSA’s grant offerings are invited to contact Tyler Smith at tsmith@PAEAonline.org.