Press Releases

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced $154,800 in federal funding for the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. The grant funding comes from the Affordable Care Act Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Payment Program at the Department of Health and Human Services.

“This unprecedented global pandemic has highlighted the need for a highly trained medical workforce ready to respond to the health care needs of the American people. This federal investment will provide continued support for Greater Lawrence Family Health Center’s first-in-the-nation accredited graduate medical education program that is training the next generation of clinicians. I will continue to advocate for robust funding for the Graduate Medical Education program so that our community can continue to rely on valuable federal funding like this,” said Congresswoman Lori Trahan.

“Greater Lawrence Family Health Center is grateful for the continued support received from the Affordable Care Act Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Payment Program. This important funding is so important to our Health Center and the future of building a solid, primary care workforce. It goes without saying, how grateful we are to Congresswoman Trahan and her team as they continue to lead the effort on Capitol Hill for this funding to not only continue but to also expand Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education for years to come,” said John M. Silva, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center.

During her time in Congress, Trahan has been a vocal advocate for robust funding for the THCGME Program. In September, Trahan led a bipartisan letter with 44 of her colleagues urging the House Energy and Commerce Committee to consider increasing the amount of funding available to the program. She is also a cosponsor of legislation to encourage the expansion, maintenance, and establishment of approved graduate medical residency programs at qualified teaching health centers.

Nationwide, there are 56 teaching health centers funded by the THCGME program that train more than 700 medical residents to become primary care physicians in underserved rural and urban communities. As part of their residency training, these students help to provide health services to an estimated one million patients each year. The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center – the only such facility in Massachusetts – was also the first teaching health center in the United States.

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