The University of South Alabama College of Medicine has been awarded a $4.4 million federal grant to help increase the number of primary care physicians and improve health care in underserved areas.
The grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration was one of five in the U.S.
“The funding allows us to expand the curriculum for our medical students in order to better serve the needs of citizens who live in underserved and under resourced areas of our county,” said Allen Perkins, M.D., M.P.H., who is chair and professor of family medicine at South and also principal investigator for the grant-funded project.
Through the grant, USA medical students will have expanded opportunities to complete rotations at Franklin Primary Health Center and Alta Pointe Health. Both are community health centers in underserved areas of southern Alabama.
“Our college of medicine is known for providing students with outstanding training experiences,” said Perkins. “The care our alumni provide to citizens throughout our region — particularly in underserved areas — is a reflection of the mentoring our faculty provides as well as the extensive clinical experiences of our program.”
Of the 2,000 USA College of Medicine graduates, 43 percent practice in Alabama, 36 percent in underserved areas, 27 percent in primary care disciplines and 10 percent in rural areas.
