Community Practitioner Program 2.0
A modern approach to strengthening North Carolina’s health care workforce and expanding access to care in rural and medically underserved communities.
CPP 2.0 is a strategic initiative of the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation designed to address provider shortages and expand access to high-quality care across North Carolina.
Building on decades of success from the original Community Practitioner Program, CPP 2.0 offers educational loan repayment, workforce incentives, and comprehensive practice support for clinicians serving in high-need communities. The program supports not only recruitment, but long-term retention — helping clinicians establish sustainable practices and build meaningful connections within the communities they serve.
CPP 2.0 also expands the Foundation’s commitment to equity and workforce diversity by broadening eligibility, supporting additional clinician types, and prioritizing pathways for providers from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
Through financial investment, innovation, and partnership, CPP 2.0 strengthens North Carolina’s healthcare infrastructure and advances access to care statewide.
History
In 2023, the NCMS Foundation launched CPP 2.0 as an enhanced and expanded model of the original Community Practitioner Program.
The updated program reflects lessons learned over more than three decades and responds to the evolving needs of both clinicians and communities. CPP 2.0 reinforces the Foundation’s commitment to health equity, workforce development, and sustainable, community-based care delivery across North Carolina.
How CPP 2.0 Supports Clinicians & Communities
CPP 2.0 is designed to strengthen the health care workforce through targeted recruitment, financial support, and innovation.
Participants Receive:
Educational loan repayment
for behavioral health, maternal health, and women’s health clinicians
Retention support
including alignment with state-level workforce incentives such as NCORH programs
Expanded eligibility
to include additional clinician types serving in high-need communities
Workforce diversity initiatives
prioritizing participation from African American/Black, American Indian, Latinx/Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ clinicians
Rural workforce pathways
including support for rural preceptors and medical practice innovation
By addressing recruitment, retention, and diversity together, CPP 2.0 strengthens long-term access to care across North Carolina.
CPP 2.0 Impact
Since its launch in 2023, CPP 2.0 has:
Increased program diversity by 19%
Provided a micro-innovation grant for mobile ultrasounds at Manteo Health Center
Developed an interprofessional teaching hub for medical and clinician assistant students in Manteo
Supported the opening of a new behavioral health clinic in Rowland, NC
Distributed 110 nutritional food bags through the Carteret Mother’s Project to improve prenatal and newborn health
CPP 2.0 continues to expand care delivery capacity and workforce sustainability in communities across the state.
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NCAPA values the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation’s Community Practitioner Program as an important investment in PAs, clinicians, and other clinicians who serve North Carolina’s underserved communities.
The program provides PAs with professional growth, leadership development, and meaningful community engagement, helping build lasting, impactful careers. Simply put, the CPP program levels the playing field of career choices by providing loan repayment and authentic professional development.”
– Emily Adams, MPA
CEO, NC Academy of Clinician Associates