LIBERTY, NY — Sullivan 180 announced on December 19 a partnership with the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Greater Hudson Valley Health System (GHVHS) to expand health care availability in Sullivan County by providing financial assistance to Touro medical students and new physicians in GHVHS’s residency program.

According to the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the State University of New York, Albany, Sullivan County has the lowest rate of primary care physicians to population in New York State at 6.29 primary care providers per 10,000 individuals. Furthermore, Sullivan County is ranked 61st out of 62 New York counties in health outcomes.

The Sullivan 180 Scholarship Program will provide an annual award toward tuition in the final two years of a student’s enrollment at Touro. Touro’s scholarship committee will select one recipient each year on the basis of interest in Sullivan County clinical rotations and rural medicine in general, academic success and financial need.

The Sullivan 180 Loan Repayment Program will provide student loan reduction funds to GHVHS primary-care residents who either choose to rotate through the Catskill Regional Medical Center in Harris or who are nearing completion of their residency and transitioning to practice in Sullivan County. The number of residents assisted through the Loan Repayment Program will grow over time with one new resident selected each year.

As a result of significant student debt, medical school graduates are drawn to higher-paying specialties and away from medically underserved areas such as Sullivan County. The announced  financial incentives will address the ongoing shortage of primary-care doctors in Sullivan County and help improve the county’s health-care ranking.

For more information on Sullivan 180, visit www.sullivan180.org; for more information on Touro College, click here; and for more information on GHVHS, click here.