Finding a doctor when you need medical care is important. To address the ever-growing demand for physicians, The Valley Health System is expanding graduate medical education programs to attract highly competent healthcare professionals to the region.
In 2019, the first class of resident doctors entered The Valley Health System’s newly accredited Graduate Medical Education (GME) Consortium. Residents are physicians who have earned their medical degree and receive training in a specialty of their choice. Meanwhile, Valley Hospital continues to offer multiple educational programs as a teaching hospital since 2006.
Bringing more primary care providers here for you
Family medicine continues to be an area where there is a high demand for more doctors to serve local communities, says Thomas Hunt, MD, program director of The Valley Health System Family Medicine Residency Program. “Nevada ranks 48th in the country for primary care physicians per capita, so there is a huge shortage,” he says.
A new Family Medicine residency through the GME Consortium and an established program through Valley Hospital are helping to address these shortfalls. As part of their graduate medical education, Family Medicine residents receive training in local physician groups and provide care under the supervision of an attending physician. Dr. Hunt notes that residents typically spend more time with patients, and a supervising doctor reviews everything, “so you actually have more than one set of eyes on you and your medical care.”
“If you are a person who likes to spend additional time with your doctor, residency training provides that,” Dr. Hunt says. Also, the training is set up to promote continuity, so that patients see the same doctor at each visit, when possible. For older adults, family medicine may cover anything from preventive care, to choosing healthy exercise programs, to managing chronic diseases.
Teaching programs like the Family Medicine residency not only bring new providers to the community, but they also inspire collaboration and a higher level of care. “Because these are training programs, medical decision-making is based on the best available scientific evidence,” Dr. Hunt says.
Schedule an appointment
The following physician groups are training Valley Health System GME residents in their practice setting and working closely with resident physicians to provide comprehensive primary care to their patients, such as preventive visits, chronic disease management, immunizations and flu shots, and in-office procedures. To make an appointment, please call the numbers below.
Roseman Medical Group
5380 S. Rainbow Blvd., Suite 120
702-463-4040
(On campus of Spring Valley Hospital)
Southwest Medical Associates Family Medicine Continuity Clinic
4750 W. Oakey Blvd.
702-877-5199