Enhancing community support for family practice residencies.
BACKGROUND
The self-interest of employers, insurers, and the public in maintaining a healthy workforce and containing health care costs can be tied directly to primary care. Therefore, primary care training programs have a sound basis on which to solicit financial, political, and moral support from employers, insurers, and the public.


METHODS
Our residency program director invited community and business leaders interested in the supply of primary care physicians to join a newly formed advisory board. The work of the advisory board has focused on four areas: public relations, political influence, recruiting, and fund-raising and has developed creative ways to generate political and financial support for the residency.


RESULTS
During the board's 3 1/2 year life span, it has influenced political decisions affecting the residency and generated more than $100,000 in support for the program.


CONCLUSIONS
Soliciting local nonmedical leaders to participate on an advisory board could bring important benefits to any residency. Those community leaders who directly or indirectly benefit from a residency program should be recruited into a formal support network.
Allhiser
J N
JN
University of Wisconsin Family Practice Residency, Appleton, USA.
D019058:Community Networks / Q000639:trends; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education*; D005378:Financial Support; D005653:Fund Raising / Q000379:methods; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States