Kaweah Health Welcomes 49 New Residents

Kaweah Health welcomed 49 new resident doctors during an event at ImagineU Children’s Museum on Monday, June 22. It was an opportunity for the doctors and their families to meet each other and connect with the community.

The new doctors are beginning their residencies in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, surgery, and transitional year as part of Kaweah Health’s Graduate Medical Education program. This is the training phase that comes after medical school, where newly graduated doctors, called residents, work in hospitals under supervision to gain hands-on experience in their chosen specialty. Three adolescent psychiatry fellows, doctors who have completed their residency but are pursuing advanced training, will join the residents later this summer.

“Starting this program in 2013 is one of the best things Kaweah Health has ever done,” Marc Mertz, Kaweah Health CEO, said. “We know we have a shortage of physicians in the Central Valley. While these residents are here from one to five years they are a huge resource and an incredible asset.”

New general surgery resident Dr. Kathryn Garcia was born at Kaweah Health and is excited to be back serving the community.

“It’s important to have people who are from here come back here,” Dr. Garcia said. “I’m familiar with the lack of access and health illiteracy. I know I can be the bridge between my community and the medical system.”

The Graduate Medical Education program began at Kaweah Health in 2013, and since then more than 400 doctors have gone through the program, about 35 percent of which have decided to stay in the community. Admission is highly competitive. This year, Kaweah Health received more than 3,000 applications and interviewed more than 650 candidates for 52 openings.