Rural Track Program Designation

ACGME Rural Track Program Designation
Building capacity for GME can be challenging in rural communities, many of which are in medically underserved areas. GME partnerships between participating sites in urban, rural, and other settings play an important role in enhancing physician supply in workforce shortage areas.

In alignment with Section II of the MUA/P framework, the ACGME has developed processes addressing ACGME-accredited programs that seek to create “rural tracks” as defined in rules and regulations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 42 CFR §413.79(k). An ACGME Rural Track Program (RTP) is an ACGME-accredited program in which all or some residents/fellows gain both urban and rural experience with more than half of the education and training for the applicable resident(s)/fellow(s) taking place in a rural area (any area outside of an urban Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA)).

Recognizing that improved identification of such programs may help to facilitate the development of GME in rural and underserved areas, the ACGME has developed a common, criterion-based process for designating ACGME-accredited RTPs across specialties.

The following ACGME RTP designation options are available:

• ACGME RTP designation: Type 1 (separately accredited program)
• ACGME RTP designation: Type 2 (expansion of an existing program with a new rural site)

Separately accredited (Type 1) RTPs may share resources with already existing ACGME-accredited programs, and residents/fellows in RTPs may have overlapping rotations with residents/fellows in those programs. Requests for Type 1 RTP designation may identify the existing programs as Rural Track Related Programs (see definition below).

As part of the ACGME RTP designation request, the program director must provide an ACGME RTP Rotation Information Form. This form is required in addition to the block diagram that is part of the program’s accreditation application or complement increase request. For programs pursuing Type 2 RTP designation, this form should reflect the rotations of rural track residents/fellows only.

Programs pursuing ACGME RTP designation are encouraged to review the applicable specialty-specific Program Requirements and contact the executive director of the relevant Review Committee with accreditation questions.

The following table summarizes the two types of ACGME Rural Track Program designation:

*The designation process is independent of accreditation review.

ACGME Definition of Terms Specific to MUA/P:

*The ACGME Rural Track Program designation is independent of any rural track designation by CMS and does not guarantee that a program will meet CMS eligibility requirements for GME or other financial support. Direct questions about the CMS rural track policy to the local GME finance staff and/or the PPS hospital’s Medicare Administrative Contractor.