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Oklahoma Senators James Lankford and Jim Inhofe along with Oklahoma Representative Tom Cole on Friday applauded the Department of Health and Human Services announcement that Oklahoma has earned two grants from the Medical Student Education Program.

The grants total $9.25 million over four years. The program, created by Inhofe and Cole’s provision in the FY19 appropriations bill, provides grants to support graduate medical education in rural states.

Both the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) received grants that will allow them to support physician education to care for Oklahoma’s Medicaid recipients. Governor Stitt said the awarding of these two grants will complement the state’s investment of $58.9 million for fiscal year 2020 to recruit and train the best medical professionals to serve across Oklahoma.

With these grants, the universities can continue to provide the best-trained doctors and medical professionals possible. Since this is a key component of the medical education programs at both OU and OSU, Sen Lankford said he is grateful for the funding clarity they need to plan for the bright futures at these institutions.