United Health Centers (UHC) opened this location at 645 S. Minnewawa Ave. in Fresno in 2022. Photo by Ben Hensley

United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley (UHC) announced Monday it has received a $2 million grant from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) as part of the Song-Brown Health Care Workforce Training Program’s 2023 Primary Care Residency Application.

The grant was given to 18 recipients each awarded individual grants of $1 million or $2 million to establish residency programs; the grant received by UHC will aim to address the critical shortage of internal medicine doctors in the Valley.

“We are grateful to receive this grant from the California HCAI Song Brown Program, which will allow us to establish a program to help train the next generation of doctors and increase retention of physicians,” said UHC President and CEO Justin Preas. “The program aligns perfectly with our mission because we need physicians that are professional, clinically competent, and trained to deliver culturally appropriate care to our diverse patient population to ensure the wellness of our communities and increase accessibility to comprehensive quality care in the Central Valley.”

The assistance will help to develop a comprehensive training program by providing hands-on clinical experience, mentorship from experienced faculty and the opportunity for professional development.

The hope is to retain up to 40% of the program’s graduates to address provider shortages.

UHC serves as a participating teaching site for University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Fresno Medical School Family Practice Physician Residency Programs  which sees five annual graduates from the program.

UHC also partners with California Health Sciences University, ATSU Central Coast Physician Assistant training program and other programs from Fresno Pacific and Fresno State universities.

Other local providers to receive 2023 Song-Brown PCR grants included Adventist Health, UCSF and the Valley Health Team Family Medicine Program.