Lou Sanner, MD, MSPH, and William Schwab, MD, from the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) have been invited to join the leadership team of the Rural Residency Program Development – Technical Assistance Center (RRPD-TAC) by the University of North Carolina Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Sanner will serve as a lead advisor and Dr. Schwab as a coalition building lead within the central hub of the Technical Assistance Center serving residency programs primarily in the Midwest.
Lou Sanner, MD, MSPH, (Left) and William Schwab, MD
“This is great validation of the outstanding work we have done in the DFMCH over many years to promote rural medical education. We are recognized nationally for our innovation and leadership,” said Dr. Schwab.
The Rural Residency Planning and Development – Technical Assistance Center provides technical assistance, information, tools, and resources to help grow graduate medical education programs in rural America and subsequently strengthen the rural physician workforce. A HRSA grant will fund the continuation of the program from September 30, 2021 to September 29, 2025. Drs. Sanner and Schwab will be joined on the leadership team by colleagues from the University of Wisconsin Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the University of Wisconsin Department of Surgery. The University of Washington Department of Family Medicine is also a partner in this project.
“There are significant differences between health care access in rural and urban areas. This leadership by Drs. Sanner and Schwab will help us partner nationally towards improving health equity wherever one lives,” added DFMCH Chair David Rakel, MD.
Dr. Schwab also serves as the program director of the Wisconsin Rural Physician Residency Assistance Program (WRPRAP), which promotes collaboration among Wisconsin health systems, residency and fellowship programs, and state agencies that aim to enhance rural graduate medical education and make rural Wisconsin a healthier place to live, work, and play.
Published: August 2021