WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 22, 2019) — The Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Health Workforce Equity (Mullan Institute), based at Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH) at the George Washington University, continues to reach significant milestones in its work to build a stronger, more inclusive health workforce and  reduce disparities in health. Today, the Mullan Institute announced supplemental funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies to amplify its mission to advance and promote health equity issues on a global scale.

The Mullan Institute previously received $25 million from The Atlantic Philanthropies to establish the Atlantic Fellows for Heath Equity program, which develops global leaders to understand and address health disparities, and operate it through 2026. The additional $10.1 million award will be used to strengthen the program and extend its operation through at least 2027. The award will also support the Beyond Flexner Alliance, an organization focused on efforts to integrate social justice into education and medical practice.

In this JAMA piece by Dr. Candice Chen, discusses how Graduate medical education (GME), the training of resident physicians, is funded by GME payments to hospitals and health systems, largely from Medicare and Medicaid. The number, specialty, and practice locations of future physicians is heavily dependent on how GME positions are determined and placed. In 2015, Medicare alone provided $12.5 billion in GME payments to teaching hospitals. Yet, shortages persist in select specialties, such as primary care, and in rural and underserved areas. Read the entire full article.