The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded Affinia Healthcare a $500,000 Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program grant

The funding will support Affinia Healthcare’s implementation of a Family Medicine residency program in partnership with A.T. Still University, Christian Hospital, and DePaul Hospital. The planning and implementation will have a focus on diversity and equity in training future primary care physicians for service at Affinia Healthcare and in the community health center environment.

“Affinia Healthcare is honored to have been selected for this award as it supports our strategic initiatives to help increase diversity and equity in the delivery of care for patients in a practical and relevant way,” said Dr. Kendra Holmes, Affinia Healthcare President and CEO. “We are excited to collaborate with ATSU, Christian Hospital, and DePaul Hospital — leaders in the education and healthcare industries — to make this significant shift in how the next generation of healthcare professionals will serve our communities.”

Through this opportunity, Affinia Healthcare will seek certification by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, and lead the residency program which will start during the 2025-2026 academic year.

“Statistics show that many patients in underserved communities suffer or experience a lower standard of care when seeing providers who don’t understand or have a bias toward certain populations,” said Dr. Melissa Tepe, Affinia Healthcare Chief Medical Officer. “It is imperative that we cultivate a new generation of clinicians who will know how to serve these populations in a more equitable way. This is another way Affinia Healthcare can help provide a better quality of care for our patients and communities.”