Application Information
The Commonwealth of Virginia, like much of the United States, faces significant physician workforce shortages. This is expected to widen in the future, with rural regions seeing the largest declines in access to care. Currently, approximately 18% of physicians grew up in self-described rural areas, and 12% of these professionals currently work in non-metro counties. However, overall, only 6% of Virginia’s physician workforce works in non-metro areas of the state.1 Research regarding rural residency and Teaching Health Center residency training shows that physicians are likely to remain in rural areas or an area similar to the area in which they have been trained after as little as 2 months of clinical time.
As such, the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA), in partnership with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), offers supplemental Graduate Medical Education (GME) awards. The supplemental award payments shall be made quarterly for up to four (4) years, depending on the duration of the specialty training. Programs should note that, for this fiscal year, payments are capped at $100,000 annually, except for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Psychiatry, which are capped at $150,000 annually. Please note that all funding is subject to approval annually by the state budget.
The primary intent of this funding is to expose residents and fellows to clinical medicine experiences in the areas of the Commonwealth, which are in greatest need, i.e., rural and underserved communities. For any training program at a facility whose Medicaid payments are capped by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the supplemental payments for each qualifying resident shall be $50,000 from the general fund annually, minus any Medicare residency payments for which the program is eligible. A comprehensive, well-written application provides all the information necessary for a complete evaluation. Preference will be given to programs that:
1. Are in rural or Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). Please see the attached Glossary for the definition of rural.
2. Serve a high percentage of Medicaid/uninsured patients
3. Collaborate with regional Area Health Education Centers (AHECS), Critical Access Hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, or other community-based organizations.
4. Strong recruitment and retention of trainees within the HPSA’s of Virginia.
Organizations should note that supplemental GME Payments for new primary care and high-need specialty resident training positions are contingent upon the annual approval of the state’s budget.
Application Schedule
March 31, 2026 - VHWDA publishes the Application for Medicaid Graduate Medical Education Supplemental Payments to Residency Programs and Sponsoring Institutions, as well as on the VHWDA website
May 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST - Application deadline and electronic submission to VHWDA via SurveyMonkey platform
June 1, 2026 - DMAS is informed by VHWDA of the review committee’s selection of applicants to be awarded
June 15, 2026 - Sponsoring institutions and hospitals are notified about approval or disapproval of their applications
June 1, 2027 - Hospitals must certify to VHWDA and DMAS that they meet criteria for supplemental payment and have filled all new residency slots
July 1, 2027 - Cohort 11 starts training program, and DMAS quarterly payments begin.
Technical Assistance/Information Sessions sign-ups are available on the
