Valued Voice

Wisconsin hospitals can now apply for the latest round of Graduate Medical Education (GME) Residency Expansion Grants, a key part of the Department of Health Services’ (DHS) “Grow Our Own” initiative. This grant program—originally crafted by WHA—is designed to increase the number of physicians practicing in rural and underserved areas of Wisconsin.

The Request for Applications (RFA) was released today and is available on the DHS Public Notice website. Applications are due no later than 12pm on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, and awarded grants will begin on July 1, 2026 (State Fiscal Year 2027).

This is the second round of funding since the passage of 2023 Wisconsin Act 185, which updated Wis. Stat. §146.64. The updated statute increases the maximum number of grant-supported residency positions to five and enhances sustainability by allowing continued funding year over year—unless a grantee opts out, no longer meets program criteria or DHS determines (based on submitted metrics) that eligibility is no longer met.

More than a decade ago, WHA spearheaded efforts that resulted in 2013 Wisconsin Act 20. This Act authorized DHS to establish grants to support the development of new GME programs, with a goal of increasing the number of physicians practicing in rural and underserved areas of Wisconsin by using matching grants to create public-private partnerships dedicated to supporting rural GME.

Since then, DHS's "Grow Our Own" initiative—based on WHA’s 86% equation—has supported:

• 22 new GME programs
• 55 expansion grants to existing programs
• 71 additional physicians graduating annually from Wisconsin GME programs

When the training pipeline is fully developed by 2032, these grants will support 163 new physicians graduating each year—significantly strengthening Wisconsin’s physician workforce.

Hospitals interested in applying can find more information and submit applications here.

For questions about the “Grow Our Own” program or other health care workforce issues, contact WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk.