Rural Residency Planning and Development Program - Eligible Entity/Facility Type: Rural Hospital and GME Consortium Project Director: Luke Nelson, MHA Willis-Knighton Health System 2600 Greenwood Rd Shreveport LA 71103 318-212-8074 Residency Program Director: Samuel Abshire, MD Claiborne Memorial Medical Center 620 East College St Homer LA 71040 318-624-0555 Program Pathway: General Primary Care Residency Specialty: Family Medicine Residency Format: New RTP (New Program Accreditation) Sponsoring Institution: Willis-Knighton Health System 2600 Greenwood Rd Shreveport LA 71103 ACGME Sponsor Program Code: 8002101112 Rural Target Area: Claiborne Parish / Northwest Louisiana Funding Requested: $750,000 Program Sustainability Option: Option 1 – Establishing a Medicare FTE Resident Cap Projected # of Residents: 2 in the first year; 6 once fully established Expected ACGME Accreditation / Residency Matriculation Dates: September 2024 / July 2025 HRSA Awards (Last 5 Years): #19G25RH32954 Rural Communities Opioid Response-Implementation #19GA1RH33511 Rural Communities Opioid Response-Implementation #21G29RH43109C6 Rural Health Clinic Vaccine Confidence Program Situated in the northwest corner of Louisiana, the institutions of Willis-Knighton Health System and Claiborne Memorial Medical Center, located in the cities of Shreveport and Homer, respectively, have partnered to develop a rural family medicine residency program. This program seeks to elevate the health status of the rural populace by bolstering the supply of physicians specializing in family medicine who are dedicated to serving patients residing in rural communities. Rural populations suffer from severe health disparities fueled by the chronic shortage of physicians committed to serving in underserved, rural domains. Through the efforts of Willis-Knighton Health System and Claiborne Memorial Medical Center, critical assistance in shoring up rural healthcare access and opportunity will be provided, positively impacting rural community health and wellness. The envisioned program is designed to combine the strengths of Willis-Knighton Health System, the region’s leading healthcare provider based in the urban area of Shreveport, Louisiana, with the strengths of Claiborne Memorial Medical Center, a rural hospital located approximately 50 miles away in Homer, Louisiana. The program specifically is structured as a 3-year training experience that follows a 13 4-week block rotation schedule, deeply immersing residents in rural healthcare settings. The program’s goal (i.e., elevating the health status of the rural populace by bolstering the supply of physicians specializing in family medicine who are dedicated to serving patients residing in rural communities) will be operationalized by a number of objectives; namely, the delivery of a comprehensive educational experience in family medicine emphasizing the medical needs of rural populations and culminating in board certification in family medicine; the provision of extensive engagement opportunities with rural stakeholders (e.g., patients, community leaders, professional societies, governmental bodies), permitting residents to understand community needs and the value of serving rural populations; and the ongoing encouragement of residents to direct their energies toward understanding and improving the state of healthcare delivery in rural environments. These objectives will be achieved via a tandem approach between Willis-Knighton Health System, which will supply required specialty rotations and supportive services, and Claiborne Memorial Medical Center, which will supply residents with the majority of their training. Successful operationalization of the noted objectives and resulting goal accomplishment are expected to produce a cadre of qualified family medical practitioners dedicated to serving the medical needs of the rural populace. This, in turn, will hasten access to quality healthcare services in rural areas, enhancing community health and wellness.
