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HOME > ABOUT > PRESS > RESCUE OF RESIDENCY PROGRAM A TRUE GIFT
Article published - November 26, 2007
Credit: BUSINESS JOURNAL
Rescue of residency program a true gift
It has been pointed out many times that when it comes to health care, there is a divide between east and west Santa Rosa. In fact, all the major hospital facilities are on the east side of the city, none on the west.
Well, east has met west and the entire community is better for it.
This month, the operation of five Chanate Road clinics in northeast Santa Rosa was transferred from Sutter Health to the Southwest Community Health Center.
Included in the transfer was the Family Residency Program, which has a 70-year history in the community but had been struggling financially.
The effort to save this training program for 36 family-practice residents from UCSF – and one of the critical pillars in delivering basic and preventative health care to the county’s uninsured adults and children – was a model of collaboration.
Every major health care organization in Sonoma County had a hand in the process, including Sutter, St. Joseph Health System and Kaiser Permanente.
Most notably, Kaiser, which frequently is criticized for not doing more for the uninsured, put up $2.9 million to support the operation of the residency program, which serves that exact population.
While helping meet the daily health care needs of the less economically fortunate in the community – the five clinics on Chanate see 27,000 patients a year – the residency program also serves as a training ground for future local family practice physicians.
A study of 264 graduates of the program over the past 25 years found that nearly one third, or 82, are in private practice in Sonoma County. Another 29 serve in community health centers or public health and 25 are on the staff of Kaiser in Santa Rosa.
In saving this treasured local residency program and raising the profile of one of many health centers around the North Bay, the entire community – east and west – has benefited.
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