Kaweah Health Graduates 10th Medical Education Class
June 11, 2026
Dr. Ulysses Sanchez received the Frank Kleist Award.
Kaweah Health has been educating doctors in the Central Valley for a decade. On Tuesday, June 9, the organization held the 10th graduation ceremony for its Graduate Medical Education Program, celebrating a total of 47 graduates across six specialty residencies and one fellowship.
Of this year's graduates, six are continuing with Kaweah Health and one more is staying to serve Tulare and Kings counties. The 2026 graduating class consisted of three fellows and 44 residents.
This year's recipient of the Frank Kleist Award was Dr. Ulysses Sanchez. The award is given annually to a graduating resident physician or fellow who best exemplifies humanitarian compassion in patient care. It was established by a local book club in honor of Dr. Frank Kleist, a retired member of Kaweah Health's medical staff and faculty emeritus of its Psychiatry Residency Program.
Dr. Sanchez was selected by the program's leadership team in recognition of his dedication to compassionate, patient-centered care and his work with Kaweah Health's Street Medicine program and local food shelters.
"He has been an exemplary resident and human being," said Family Medicine Program Director Dr. Mario Martinez in nominating Dr. Sanchez. "We are delighted and proud that he will continue to serve our community and hopefully stay connected to our program as one of our revered local family medicine physicians."
Dr. Sanchez will practice at United Health Centers in Hanford.
Physicians remaining with Kaweah Health include Dr. Cody Brazeal and Dr. Michael Prentice, both anesthesiologists; Dr. Rina Patel, family medicine; and Dr. Brandy Truong, family medicine. Dr. Patel will work out of Kaweah Health's new Akers Clinic and provide prenatal care at its Willow Clinic. Dr. Truong will work out of Kaweah Health's Tulare Clinic.
Dr. Eduardo Amaya and Dr. Iman Shull, both emergency medicine physicians, will be joining Vituity, the medical group that staffs the Kaweah Health Medical Center Emergency Department.
Each year, the graduating class selects a team that played an integral role in their training and inspired them during their time at Kaweah Health. This year's Sequoia Award was presented to Interpreter Services.
Kaweah Health's Graduate Medical Education Program was founded in 2013 and currently offers residency programs in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, surgery, and transitional year, as well as a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship. The program's first class graduated in June 2016.
Admission is highly competitive. This year, Kaweah Health received more than 3,000 applications and interviewed more than 650 candidates for 53 openings. With 35 percent of its graduating doctors in the past 10 years choosing to stay in the Central Valley, the program is making meaningful strides in bringing a steady flow of new physicians to the region.
