DELAWARE - The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services announced approximately $1.38 million in funding to help recruit and retain physicians in rural communities across Kent and Sussex counties on Oct. 14.
The funding is provided through Delaware's Rural Health Transformation Program. The state said it will support two initiatives offering financial assistance to medical students and physicians in residency training. In exchange, recipients must commit to practicing medicine in rural Delaware for five years.
“Having a strong health care workforce is essential to making sure Delawareans can get the care they need close to home,” said DHSS Secretary Christen Linke Young. “These investments give us another way to address workforce needs in our rural communities by helping attract future physicians to our state and creating more opportunities for them to stay and serve our communities.”
The Delaware Health Care Commission has partnered with Thomas Jefferson University's Sidney Kimmel Medical College to provide two $70,000 educational awards to eligible medical students during the program's first year. Those awards represent a total investment of $140,000.
DHSS said it has also budgeted approximately $1.24 million for housing and relocation assistance for physicians participating in graduate medical education programs at Bayhealth, Beebe Healthcare, ChristianaCare, Nemours and TidalHealth. The department said it expects to provide 61 awards that average around $20,000 each.
Third and fourth-year medical students who complete at least one clinical rotation in Delaware are eligible to apply, along with future students attending Delaware's new medical school expected to open in 2028 and medical residents and fellows who complete clinical rotations in rural Delaware communities. Physicians receiving financial assistance must commit to five years of practice in rural Delaware, with at least 50 percent of their practice serving rural communities.
Up to three years of qualifying residency training may count toward the five-year requirement. Telehealth services will not count toward the commitment.
“Medical school and residency are critical points in a physician’s career when they are deciding where they want to live and practice,” said Dr. Neil Hockstein, Delaware’s Surgeon General. “By creating opportunities for physicians to establish roots in Delaware during their education and training, we have a better opportunity to build the workforce our communities will need in the years ahead.”
Interested applicants should contact their respective medical institutions for information about eligibility and the application process. The funding is part of Delaware's broader Rural Health Transformation Program, which also includes investments in the state's planned medical school.
