The University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine has been awarded a four-year federal grant worth nearly 16 million dollars to increase the number of primary care physicians – especially in underserved areas of the state like rural eastern Kentucky. Dr. Stephanie White helped prepare the winning application to the Health Resources and Services Administration.
“We know that Kentucky has a critical shortage of primary care services as a primary care physician and pediatrician myself. This is an area that the college is committed to growing and helping. And so this gives us a great opportunity to do that.”
White says with UK Medical School graduates owing an average of $240,000, a good portion of the 16-million dollars will go towards scholarships to cut the debt – and encourage them to become primary care doctors.
“For individuals interested in going into primary care, those specialties like internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics, they aren't compensated at the same rate as some of the other medical specialties.”
White said the new scholarships and other changes should help UK fulfill the grant’s goal of improving health care in underserved areas of the state.
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