Undergraduate studies in health: supply and institutional strategies in the context of the Brazilian Unified National Health System regionalization

This article aims to provide an overview of the territorial distribution of health training supply and to identify the strategies for strengthening regionalization adopted by teaching institutions that offer health courses and the changes in the regional surroundings as a function of these institutions. This is a descriptive-exploratory multiple-case study conducted at the national level in Brazil from December 2015 to September 2016. The study analyzed secondary data on health training supply and interviewed 68 administrators of undergraduate health courses, whose commentary was submitted to content analysis. There was an increase in health training institutions in smaller regions and municipalities (counties), although such institutions were still concentrated mainly in more socioeconomically developed regions. Policies have been implemented for access and enrollment in higher education from the perspective of promoting provision and professional retention in the region where the health course is located. The university's presence promotes regional development and has the potential to strengthen health regionalization.