Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved

Abstract:

To transform primary care with the goal of achieving health equity, changes in the way the health care workforce is selected, trained, and ultimately delivers care should be expedited. Research has repeatedly shown the immense impact of the social determinants of health and the gaps related to health equity in the United States. Despite this knowledge, health care education and delivery systems have been slow to evolve. The Health Resources and Services Administration established the Academic Units for Primary Care Training and Enhancement to work towards strengthening the primary care workforce. Through their research, the six individual Academic Units (AU) have identified gaps related to health equity in their areas of focus. This article provides recommendations from the AUs on ways primary care health professions education can be transformed to advance health equity and serves as background for the articles to follow in the remainder of the supplement.