Kaweah Health announces match day results, welcomes next class of residents

Kaweah Health announces match day results, welcomes next class of residents

VISALIA – Kaweah Health has selected its next class of residents for its six residency programs, which will join the organization’s 80 resident physicians in serving the community this summer. The 48 new residents, along with three fellows of Kaweah Health’s new Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, were celebrated on Monday, March 21, during a Facebook LIVE.

From September through February, Kaweah Health received thousands of applications and interviewed hundreds of candidates for the residency programs. The following 48 residents and three fellows matched with Kaweah Health last week as part of Match Day, when medical school graduates from around the world learn which residency program they will train in for the next three to seven years.

“It’s always an exciting day and a rite of passage for physicians. For us it’s another chance to celebrate the work we are doing to bring more physicians to our area so that we can improve access to physicians in the Central Valley,” said Dr. Lori Winston, Kaweah Health’s Vice President of Medical Education. “We want these physicians to know we are a community that welcomes them with open arms. We hope they will fall in love with the area and decide to practice medicine here.”

The incoming residents and fellows will now start making plans to relocate to Visalia, where this summer, they will begin a two-week orientation before starting their rotations at Kaweah Health. Kaweah Health’s Graduate Medical Education Program began in 2013 and to date, has graduated 118 resident physicians, 45 percent of whom have remained in the Central Valley to practice medicine.

This is the first year for Kaweah Health’s new Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, a fellowship program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Its mission is to train child and adolescent psychiatrists that will positively impact the health of youth and their families in the Central Valley. The program’s first three residents are Reza Emami, M.D., American University of Antigua College of Medicine; Kristine Hwang, M.D., University of the East/Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center College of Medicine; and Luis Cyrus Montes de Oca, D.O., Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine – California.

The Facebook LIVE event featured welcome messages from Kaweah Health Board President Dave Francis and Board Member Ambar Rodriguez, Visalia Mayor Steve Nelsen; Tulare County District 3 Supervisor Amy Shuklian; Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar, Visalia Rawhide Co-Owner Sam Sigal; Doug Cardoza, Interim Superintendent of Visalia Unified School District; and Brent Calvin, Superintendent and President of College of the Sequoias.

Anesthesiology

Cody Brazeal, D.O., A.T. Still University of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

Oliver Marigold, M.D., University of California, San Diego School of Medicine

Katherine Nguyen, D.O., Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - California

Michael Prentice, M.D., University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

Emergency Medicine

Ryan Bennion, D.O., Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Christine Do, D.O., Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine

Kristel Hallsson, M.D., University of Washington School of Medicine

Matthew Ishiki, M.D. University of California, Los Angeles

Mitra Jefic, D.O. Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Elise, Kahn, D.O., Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus

Max Klahr, M.D., University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson

Joseph Lewis, M.D., University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine

Alvin Li, D.O., Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - California

Kimberly Marinconz, D.O., University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine

Katerina Meassick, D.O., Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University

Elisa Quince, D.O., William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Christian Vazquez, M.D., Michigan State University College of Human Medicine - Midland

Family Medicine

Peter Jared Caballes, M.D., University of The East/Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Center College of Medicine - Phillipines

Yessenia Calderon Leon, M.D., UCLA Drew Medical Education Program

Rosa Chabok, D.O. Lincoln Memorial University, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

Charles Gaccione, D.O., Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Andrew Hanalla, D.O.,University of Pikeville - Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine

Eric Kuehne, MD, Albany Medical College

Quan Tran, DO, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - California

Psychiatry

Jesse Godfrey, D.O., Touro University

Mohammad Khatami, MD, Tehran University

Monica Khokhar, M.D., Aureus University

Synthia Lay, M.D., Keck School of Medicine

Long Nguyen, D.O., Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic

Rubani Sidhu, M.D., Sri Guru Ram Das

Shannan Valentin, M.D., Saba University

Surgery

Taylor Hartlein, M.D., University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Danielle Ruediger, M.D., Albany Medical College

Tiffany Shao, M.D., California Northstate University College of Medicine

Victoria Ngo, M.D., Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Rukia Yosuf, M.D., The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences

Transitional Year

Rosalie Ellis, D.O., Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic

Nathan Heldt, M.D./PhD, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Shubhika Jain, M.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine

Michael Lethin, D.O., Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic

Kendra Lian, M.D., The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences

Katherine Miotke, D.O., Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Victoria Nguyen, D.O. Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic

Jared Olson, D.O., Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine

James Pham, M.D., Baylor College of Medicine

Vivek Sharma, D.O., Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University

Ethan Sy, D.O., A.T. Still University of Health Sciences School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona

Teagan Tran, D.O., Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic

Frequently Asked Questions about resident physicians

Q. What are resident physicians? A. Resident physicians (or residents) have earned medical (M.D. or D.O.) degrees after 4 years in medical school. They are then in “residency,” training for an additional 3 to 5 years to complete their education in the art and science of medicine and become specialists in their chosen field.

Q. Do residents ever work alone? A. No. Residents are always supervised by our seasoned staff physicians.

Q. Will residents work in all the parts of the hospital? A. Yes. Residents will “rotate” throughout the entire hospital.

Q. How will I know residents are part of my healthcare team? A. Residents are instructed to introduce themselves as residents, resident physicians, or doctors-in-training and their name badges will state that they are resident physicians.

Q. How do I benefit by having resident physicians at Kaweah Health? A. Having graduates of some of the finest medical schools at Kaweah Health with their bright young minds, caring hearts and skillful hands will raise the bar for medical care you’ll receive. Additionally, studies have shown that when resident physicians work in hospitals the quality of care improves and patients are more satisfied.

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