2014 Family Medicine Cares Resident Service Award Guidelines

This service award requires that the resident identify an unmet health care need in his/her community. The resident will then design an innovative service project at a free health clinic (or similar health care facility) to address that unmet health care need and will implement the project for 12 months. The project should enhance the services offered by the free health clinic and have relevance to the patient population being served.

In designing the project, emphasis should be placed on activities that will have an enduring benefit to the patients and the community after the 12-month project period. Projects that can be continued or replicated by other family medicine residents in the future are also encouraged.

Note: It may be helpful to obtain input from the clinic’s staff when designing the project.

One award will be provided annually. The award will total $16,500 and contain the following elements:

• A $10,000 award will be provided to the resident whose service project is selected for funding. This funding is to be used by the resident only for costs directly related to the project. These may include: medical supplies (e.g., diabetes testing), equipment rental or purchase, software purchase or lease, patient education materials, communication expenses (e.g., postage, printing, office supplies), patient incentives/reimbursement, mileage/transportation (e.g., resident mileage), patient reimbursement, personnel not employed by free clinic or health care facility (e.g., patient educators, substance abuse or peer counselors).
• $5,000 award will be provided to the free clinic (or similar health care facility) where the service project is implemented. 
• $1,000 travel award will be provided to the resident to attend the 2015 National Conference (NC) of Family Medicine Residents and Medical Students. The resident will present the results of the project at this conference. 
• $500 stipend will be given to the residency program to celebrate and recognize the resident who wins the Family Medicine Cares Resident Service Award.

The resident is required to submit the following reports:

• An interim financial report and progress report that highlights the service project activities and progress is required by November 1, 2014.
• A final financial report and final project summary detailing the implemented service project and its outcomes must be submitted by June 1, 2015.
• The resident will attend the 2015 National Conference (NC) of Medicine Residents and Medical Students to give a presentation on his/her project. Note: Registration fees for the NC will be waived for speakers.
  

Three letters are required to be submitted with the application:

• One letter of recommendation from the resident’s residency director 
• One letter of support from the director of the free clinic (or other health care facility) 
• One letter from the mentor (clinic director or other physician) agreeing to assist with the project should the award be granted
  

The $10,000 award for the resident will be distributed in three payments:

• $6,000 will be provided at the start of the project 
• $2,000 will be provided after receipt of the interim reports 
• $2,000 will be provided after receipt of the final reports

The $5,000 award for the free clinic will be distributed in two payments:

• $2,500 will be provided at the start of the project 
• $2,500 will be provided after receipt of the clinic’s report six months after the project begins

The $500 stipend for the residency will be distributed when the award is announced.