Valued Voice

The latest round of Graduate Medical Education (GME) program expansion and continuation grant funding, a key part of the Department of Health Services’ (DHS) “Grow Our Own” initiative, has been awarded to seven hospital-based GME programs. This grant program—originally crafted by WHA—is designed to increase the number of physicians practicing in rural and underserved areas of Wisconsin, and it’s working! To date, GME “Grow Our Own” grants have supported more than 300 additional residency slots, with more than 250 physicians having already graduated from residencies made possible by the public-private partnerships the matching grants promote.

More than a decade ago, WHA spearheaded efforts that resulted in 2013 Wisconsin Act 20. Since then, DHS's "Grow Our Own" initiative—based on WHA’s 86% equation—has supported:

• 23 new GME programs
• 51 expansion and sustaining grants to expand 20 existing programs

When the training pipeline is fully developed by 2032, these grants will support more than 150 new physicians graduating each year—significantly strengthening Wisconsin’s physician workforce.

For questions about the “Grow Our Own” program or other health care workforce issues, contact WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk.