There is a shortage of physicians — especially primary care physicians and psychiatrists — to care for California’s large, diverse, and growing population. To ensure the future stability and capacity of the health care system, the California Future Health Workforce Commission recommended an expansion of graduate medical education (GME) to produce more California-trained physicians, especially in needed specialties and underserved regions of the state.

Acting on the Commission’s recommendation, CHCF has funded a two-year Transitional GME Program Office for California, led by Senior Fellow Diane Rittenhouse, MD, MPH, of the research and policy organization Mathematica, and guided by an advisory board (PDF) of GME experts and leaders. This project builds on prior work conducted by CHCF and its partners to accelerate GME expansion efforts in California. The transitional program office will:

• Provide interim leadership
• Coordinate with GME experts and leaders at the state and national level
• Create a permanent GME governance council
• Produce resources, such as toolkits, case studies, and small grants, for hospitals exploring the feasibility of establishing new residency programs

The Transitional GME Program Office has produced a list of resources, available below, for health care organizations interested in developing or expanding GME programs, as well as for policymakers looking to learn more about GME. Key resources are highlighted and summarized within each topic.