HCAI details Song Brown application steps, scoring and deadlines for FNP, PA and CNM grants

Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) staff on a webinar said the Song Brown grant applications for family nurse practitioner (FNP), physician assistant (PA) and certified nurse midwifery (CNM) programs have been open since Aug. 12 and that applicants seeking an early completeness review must submit their applications before 3 p.m. on Sept. 9; the final deadline is 3 p.m. on Sept. 24.

The Song Brown program funds education and training intended to expand primary care services in underserved communities, HCAI program staff said. Charles Fost, program officer for the Song Brown FNP/PA grants, summarized the program’s statutory priorities as “graduating individuals to practice in medically underserved areas, enrolling members of underrepresented groups in medicine, locating the program's main training site in a medically underserved area, and operating a main training site at which most of the patients are Medi‑Cal recipients.”

Why this matters: Song Brown awards support clinical training that places primary care providers in medically underserved areas. HCAI staff warned that incomplete applications cannot be edited after final submission and encouraged use of the early submission review to correct errors before the Sept. 24 close.

Most important requirements and deadlines - Applications opened Aug. 12; early submission for staff…