Rutgers Health Partners With Hospitals Statewide on Rural Access Initiative

Rutgers Health announced a new rural access initiative this week, partnering with hospitals in Sussex, Warren, and Salem counties to place medical residents in underserved rural communities that have long struggled to recruit and retain primary care physicians.

Under the program, residents completing their training will spend an extended rotation, in some cases up to six months, practicing in a rural clinic setting under the supervision of local physicians. Rutgers Health says the goal is to expose residents to rural practice early enough in their careers that some choose to stay after completing their training, rather than defaulting to urban or suburban practices near larger hospital systems.

"Physicians tend to practice where they trained, which is exactly why rural counties keep losing this recruitment battle," said Rutgers Health Vice President of Graduate Medical Education Dr. Samuel Okonkwo. "If a resident never sets foot in a rural clinic during training, they're unlikely to consider one after graduation."

New Jersey's three most rural counties have among the lowest primary care physician-to-resident ratios in the state, according to data cited by Rutgers Health, forcing many residents to drive substantial distances for routine care. The initiative launched with 18 resident placements this year and is expected to expand to 30 next year if early retention results are promising.

Participating hospitals say they are also offering loan repayment incentives to residents who commit to practicing in the partner counties for at least three years after completing training.