Category Archives: Family Medicine

Family Medicine

Massachusetts Family Doctor Had Hidden Cameras, Thousands of Child Sex Abuse Images, Feds Say – NBC Connecticut

A Massachusetts family doctor was arrested for allegedly recording and possessing child sex abuse images, including on a hidden camera designed to look like a bracelet, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Dr. Bradford Ferrick, 32, was arrested Tuesday morning on a charge of possessing child pornography and was due to appear virtually in federal court in Boston, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts.

About 80 devices were seized from Ferrick's homes in Winchester and Amherst, including hidden camera systems, last month, and thousands of images and videos showing suspected sexual images of children, prosecutors said. Alleged victims appear to be between 6 and 11.

"I can think of no greater fear as a parent or guardian than potential harm coming to your child. Today we allege that this doctor, who held a position of trust with access to children, maintained child sexual abuse material," U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement, noting that the investigation is ongoing.

Ferrick is a family medicine resident at Baystate Franklin Family Medicine, according to prosecutors. A hospital website listed him as a current resident at the hospital system's Greenfield Family Medicine.

NBC10 Boston has reached out to Baystate Health for comment. It wasn't immediately clear if Ferrick had an attorney who could speak to his arrest.

In Massachusetts, Ferrick had rotations in Springfield, Deerfield and Greenfield, prosecutors said. Before joining the hospital system in July 2022, he worked attended State University of New York's Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

Investigators have set up this FBI website for anyone with information or concerns about the case.

Police in Winchester first reviewed tips from a national clearinghouse for child sexual exploitation information in January, according to the complaint filed in federal court. Videos with suspected child pornography were uploaded to a Google Drive in November 2021 and March 2022, each done in an IP address traced to Syracuse.

Winchester and state police searched Ferrick's parents home in Winchester, where he lives as well, on Feb. 13, and seized 61 devices, including hidden camera systems, computers, cellphones and storage devices that, in total, were able to contain more than 100 terabytes of data, the complaint said. He was arrested on four counts of possessing child pornography and released two days later on $50,000 bail under conditions including house arrest.

Several more devices were seized from the house later that week, after Ferrick appeared to have remotely manipulated one of the phones that had already been taken, investigators said.

A review of the devices found graphic videos showing a man raping a child, including two instances where the child was unconscious, according to the complaint.

The day after the search of the Ferricks' home, Winchester police found a hidden camera in a bathroom at the home of relatives, where two young children live, the complaint said. A Winchester detective had gotten permission to conduct the search after visiting the house and informing them of the charges.

The next week, police searched a home in Amherst that Ferrick rented and found eight more devices, including the hidden camera that appeared designed as a bracelet, investigators said. Its memory card allegedly showed videos of Ferrick giving medical exams in August 2022 with another doctor, including a audio of Ferrick apparently examining a teenage boy's genitals while his mother was present.

"It does not appear the individuals in the room are aware they are being recorded during either exam," an FBI agent wrote in the complaint.

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Massachusetts Family Doctor Had Hidden Cameras, Thousands of Child Sex Abuse Images, Feds Say - NBC Connecticut

Family Medicine

Family doctor: NC politicians making health care landscape toxic – The Fayetteville Observer

Dr. Rebecca Kasper| The Fayetteville Observer

As a family medicine resident physician in the Triangle area, I originally came to train in North Carolina because the state has some of the best family medicine programs in the country. For five years now I have called this state home.

I am involved in my local faith community, I volunteer with my neighborhood association, and I am falling in love with the varied landscapes across this beautiful state. I had planned on staying and raising my family here.

However, the increasingly toxic healthcare landscape is making me seriously reconsider this plan.

As a family doctor, my job is to comprehensively care for my patients across a wide variety of health problems. Living in a state that seeks to further restrict abortion access, criminalizes exploration of gender identity and still hasnt expanded Medicaid for over 10 years after the Affordable Care Act became law threatens my professional ethos.

I am also increasingly fearful for my personal safety as I just try to do my job. My patients, all patients everywhere, deserve the best, most up-to-date medical care. North Carolina is moving in directions that propagate bad medicine and limit my ability as a physician to do the right thing.

Abortion is an essential option in pregnancy care, and is often life saving. Living a life aligned with your gender identity is also often life saving 40% of transgender youth attempt suicide each year.

Having access to health insurance to be able to afford to care for yourself and your family is lifesaving. The list of ways the North Carolina legislature has stepped in to limit my ability to care for my patients goes on and on. The Speaker of the Houses announcement recently of further proposed restrictions on abortion adds moral injury to what is already a long list of ways that the state interferes with my ability to care for my patients.

North Carolinians deserve the best medicine has to offer. Our healthcare shouldnt be subject to the state we live in, or the opinions of politicians. I am not alone in reconsidering my decision to stay in this state after I graduate residency.

North Carolina spent five years making me an excellent physician. It would be a shame to see myself and others leave the state just as we are ready to launch on our own. Abortion bans, gender affirming care bans, lack of support for comprehensive health care reform, and other limitations will force us to leave.

This brain drain will continue unless politicians get out of our exam rooms. Please trust us, your doctors, for your medical care, rather than politicians.

RebeccaE.Kasper, MD, MPH is a Family Medicine Doctor, a Primary Care Doctor and a Resident who sees patients at Duke Family Medicine Center.

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Family doctor: NC politicians making health care landscape toxic - The Fayetteville Observer

Family Medicine

Mercyhealth welcomes Dr. David Rebedew, board certified family … – Mercyhealth

Mercyhealth is pleased to welcome David Rebedew, MD, board certified family medicine doctor, to the physician staff of Mercyhealth East and Mercyhealth South, and the faculty of the Mercyhealth Family Medicine Residency Program.

Dr. Rebedew is excited to share his philosophy of care with the residents he is teaching. My philosophy of care is to combine the latest evidence with shared decision making to find out what is most important to my patients while trying to use the least amount of medications, referrals and tests to make them as healthy and happy as possible, he said. I do this through use of injections for pain, performing ultrasound to aid with diagnosis, complementary and alternative medicine, as well as teaching residents.

After earning his medical degree at University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Dr. Rebedew served a family medicine residency at Waukesha Family Medicine Residency Program, Waukesha, WI. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Dr. Rebedews special interests include:

To make an appointment with Dr. Rebedew at Mercyhealth South, call (608) 755-7960. To make an appointment with him at Mercyhealth East, call (608) 756-7100.

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Mercyhealth welcomes Dr. David Rebedew, board certified family ... - Mercyhealth

Family Medicine

Future physicians to begin their next chapter at Match Day Ceremony – University of Arizona

At this years Match Day ceremony, to be held Friday, March 17, on the west side of the Old Main Building on the University of Arizona campus, 110 medical students from the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson will learn where they will complete the next phase of their medical training.

Surrounded by loved ones and in coordination with fourth-year medical students attending similar events across the country, students in their final semester of medical school will simultaneously tear open envelopes at 9 a.m. The contents will reveal where they will begin their residency, a three-to-seven-year stage of graduate medical education where new doctors practice medicine in their chosen specialty under the supervision of a senior medical clinician. Match Day represents a culmination of four years of intense study, volunteering, research, clerkships, sub-internships and clinical rotations for UArizona College of Medicine Tucson students.

During their last year of medical school, students interview for residency slots at institutions where they hope to receive further training. Students later rank their residency location preferences, while institutions rank the students they would like to have as trainees. The match process is completed by the National Residency Matching Program, and medical students are obligated to serve where they matched.

Match Day is the most anticipated event for medical students and for COM-T administration and faculty as we all find out where our students will be pursuing their graduate medical education during the next phase in their journey to become an independently practicing physician, said Kevin Moynahan, MD, vice dean for education at the College of Medicine Tucson. This day is the cumulation of four or more years of hard work, resiliency and professional identity formation. The college is proud to send our well-trained graduates to prestigious graduate medical education programs around the country and to welcome a significant number into our own residency programs.

Registration and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m., with programming starting at 8:15 a.m. At 9 a.m., students will individually gather with their supporters to open their Match Day envelopes, and at 9:30 a.m., they will announce their matches publicly. Closing remarks begin at 11 a.m.

Parking is available ($8 per car) at the Tyndall Garage, located on Tyndall Avenue south of University Boulevard. There is an accessible drop-off area for people with disabilities on University Boulevard at the flagpole west of Old Main.

Those wishing to attend the event virtually can view the livestream at satyrlivestream.com/stream/match-day-2023/. For more information and to RSVP, visit the College of Medicine Tucson Match Day website.

College of Medicine Tucson medical students participating in Match Day include:

Ike Royal Chinyere, PhD, received his bachelors degree from the College of Medicine Tucson before enrolling as a dual MD/PhD student. As a doctoral student, Dr. Chinyere performed preclinical studies of an engineered biomaterial that could be implanted onto the hearts surface to help restore its electrical stability after a heart attack. The experience solidified his interest in helping patients through entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship fits into how I approach my goals as a physician-scientist in training. Utilizing both degrees is my main goal, he said. I believe it is my calling to simultaneously employ all of these skillsets to make a difference in patients lives.

Dr. Chinyere has applied for a select number of residency programs that will further develop him as a physician-scientist, and will pursue a career in cardiac electrophysiology, focusing on the electrical properties of the heart. He is looking forward to celebrating Match Day with his wife and young son.

I enjoyed my time here and met a lot of amazing people, and there are a lot of good memories, he said. I feel very excited that medical school is coming to an end, and very motivated for the next chapter.

Gabrielle Milillo has applied to residency programs in pediatrics, fulfilling a lifelong dream to be a pediatrician.

I really idolized my pediatrician. I valued the partnership she made with my family and her commitment to helping me grow as a person and as a patient at the same time, she said. What I love about pediatrics is the ability to work with patients at the most transformative moments of their life, being able to contribute to their development in a positive way.

Milillo is participating in the couples match to receive training in the same region as her partner, who is also completing his medical degree.

I met my partner at the beginning of medical school, she said. To end it all with the opening of the envelope and to continue our life together is incredible. I dont know what city well end up in, but Im excited to explore with him.

The couple will celebrate Match Day with their families.

Opening up that envelope at the same time, knowing that were all bonded in that moment, is really special, she said.

Kaloni Peleketi Philipp received her bachelors degree from the College of Medicine Tucson and was accepted to medical school through Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway, an intensive medical school preparation program for promising students who have faced considerable obstacles.

Initially interested in obstetrics and gynecology, Philipp pivoted to family medicine.

I loved OB, but I wanted to know about the other parts of their life. Its important to me to build long-term relationships, she said.

With those deeper connections, her goal is to improve care for underserved people: I want to explore ways to get them into doctors offices to prevent a lot of the chronic conditions and complications were seeing in that population.

As a medical student, Philipp developed leadership skills as co-chair of the Student Diversity Committee and the Asylum Clinic. She co-founded Polynesians in Medicine, a nationwide organization that supports Pacific Islander pre-med students as they work through the pipeline toward medical careers.

She will celebrate Match Day with her husband, along with family members from the Phoenix area.

Its the culmination of years and years of work, she said. Im excited to see where I end up.

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Future physicians to begin their next chapter at Match Day Ceremony - University of Arizona

Family Medicine

B.C. has added 160 family doctors since rollout of new payment model, ministry says – CBC.ca

British Columbia

Posted: March 09, 2023 Last Updated: March 09, 2023

The province says 160 more family doctors have been added in British Columbia in the five weeks since a new physician payment model was rolled out.

Around half of them switched from another area of medicine to family practice, B.C.'s Ministry of Health said.

According to Health Minister Adrian Dix, a total of2,041 doctors, including the new recruits,have now signed on to the longitudinal family physician (LFP) model.

That equates to almost half of all doctors working infull-service family practice, which is referred to as longitudinal care by medical professionals.

"It's about 46 per cent of those who were longitudinal family doctors last yearand billed under fee-for-service," Dix said."So it's an exceptional change."

The LFPpayment modelwas introduced as an option to the existing fee-for-service model, under which doctors are paid around $30 per patient visit,no matter whether the patient has a simple cold or complex condition.

LFP, on the other hand, compensatesdoctors for number ofpatients seen,the complexity of their condition, and for time spent on other necessary tasks like reviewing lab results, consulting with other medical professionals, updating patient lists and clinical administrative work.

Half of the 160 new physicians on theLFP modelbilled to the Medical Services Plan in 2021-22, which indicates they were under a non-longitudinal model and switched to providing full-service familycare, the Ministry of Health said.

The ministry also said as of Feb.25, 120 new contracts have been signed, along with seven additional expressions of interest,as part of its New to PracticeIncentives Program, which offers incentives tophysicians who have recently completed their family medicine residency program and wish to provide full-servicefamily care.

Of these 120, 38 are Canadian medical graduates and 82 are international medical graduates, the ministry said.

Dr. Josh Greggain, president of Doctors of B.C., said early reviews from physicians working under the new model have been overwhelmingly positive.

"This is a great start and the joy that's come back to family medicine ... is critically important," he said.

"The secret sauce of this model is that [doctors] get value and get compensatedfor the things [they] do, whether that be seeing a patient or managing all of the other things that go along with being a family physician."

Under the new framework, the average family physician in B.C. will see a pay raise from roughly $250,000 annually to around $385,000.

It's estimated thatclose to onemillion British Columbians, about one-fifth of the population, are without a family doctor.

Greggain said family physicians who have elected to stay in the fee-for-service model are doing so because it works well for them, or possibly because they're still evaluating whether to make the switch.

"Any time you make any monumental change, not 100 per cent of people are going to jump into that change right away," he said. "The fact that we have nearly 50 per cent is very encouraging."

Karin Larsen is a former Olympian and award winning sports broadcaster who covers news and sports for CBC Vancouver.

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B.C. has added 160 family doctors since rollout of new payment model, ministry says - CBC.ca

Family Medicine

Express Care facility to open in Fulton – Fulton Sun

The Callaway County Commission and Jefferson City Medical Group entered into an agreement Monday to open an extended-hours Express Care facility in Fulton.

This is the first step in providing much-needed medical care access in the area, as Callaway County has been without extended hours healthcare facilities since the previous facilities closed.

SSM Health Family Medicine Clinic closed in 202o and Callaway Community Hospital closed in 2022, according to a release from JCMG.

The Callaway County Commission made providing medical access one of its top priorities with the money received from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The county received approximately $8.6 million in ARPA funds.

The contract Callaway County signed yesterday was for $520,216.

JCMG's Callaway County Express Care will be at 354 Country Meadows in Fulton. This is just off Highway F, and is where the SSM Health Family Medicine Clinic was previously located, a release states.

The walk-in clinic will be able to treat immediate, non-emergent health concerns. It will also be able to provide wellness services, including physicals and immunizations.

Minor cuts and burns, minor fevers, sore throats, and seasonal allergies are examples of conditions that patients can be seen for, a release states.

ARPA funds will allow the new facility to have x-ray capabilities. The facility will be remodeled to allow for those facilities, and to prepare the clinic for opening.

"Callaway County is extremely happy to be assisting JCMG in providing extended hour healthcare provisions with x-ray capabilities to over 45,000 county residents and numerous area businesses," Gary Jungermann, Callaway County Presiding Commissioner, said in a release. "The commission has heard from families and several industries within the county about the healthcare need and knows everyone will benefit from having this Express Care available to them."

Jungermann thanked the county ARPA committee, which helps make decisions on how the federal funds are utilized. He said this is one of the best efforts that has been made with the ARPA money.

"Thank you for answering our call," Roger Fischer, Western District Commissioner, said to JCMG representatives.

JCMG will begin remodel work on the clinic soon, a release states. An opening date and hours of operation will be announced at a later time.

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Express Care facility to open in Fulton - Fulton Sun

Family Medicine

Little Rock city board names Dr. Harold Betton to Airport Commission – Arkansas Online

Members of the Little Rock Board of Directors on Tuesday voted to appoint Dr. Harold Betton to the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission following a two-and-a-half-month period during which the Airport Commission seat had been vacant.

City board members entered executive session during a special-called meeting Tuesday that was initiated to allow them to consider appointments.

After returning to open session, they voted to confirm Betton in a voice vote. City Director B.J. Wyrick of Ward 7 could be heard voting no.

City board members went on to approve a series of other appointments to boards and commissions. They included Kerry Wright's appointment to the board of commissioners of Little Rock's public housing authority, replacing longtime board chairman Kenyon Lowe Sr., whose reappointment the city board denied last year.

The Airport Commission oversees Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field and is composed of seven members who serve five-year terms.

Airport commissioners are appointed by the mayor but must be confirmed by a three-fourths majority of the city board.

Betton is a physician practicing family medicine in Little Rock as well as a pastor, according to his application materials, and was reappointed to the Little Rock Planning Commission in January.

He submitted an application last November that listed the Airport Commission as his first choice and reappointment to the Planning Commission as his second choice.

Betton will occupy the Airport Commission seat formerly held by Mark Camp, who was confirmed to an initial term in January 2018 under then-Mayor Mark Stodola and applied to be reappointed last September.

Other applicants for the position included Myron Jackson, a local public-relations executive with close ties to Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr.

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Little Rock city board names Dr. Harold Betton to Airport Commission - Arkansas Online

Family Medicine

Health Workforce report recommendations are sound, now is the … – Canadian Medical Association

The Canadian Medical Association (CMA), Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), and College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) jointly commend the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health (HESA) for their report titled Addressing Canadas Health Workforce Crisis.

Representing Canadas nurses and physicians, the three organizations have previously come together to deliver a series of recommendations to the HESA focusing on both short-term and long-term solutions to the current workforce crisis.

The health care workforce is under significant strain as the growing complexity of care, rising administrative burden, and insufficient supports make their work increasingly challenging. Because of this strain, people in Canada are not equitably receiving the care they need when, where, and how they need it. The report lists many constructive recommendations, including moving toward a national licensure for physicians, optimizing scopes of practice for health professionals, educating more health workers in Canada, investing in collaborative teams, and reducing administrative burden present in the system.

Multiple report recommendations relate to bolstering the system with internationally trained health professionals. While it is certainly a component of the solution, it is imperative that the primary focus of federal, provincial, and territorial government investment is creating a workable and effective system for everyone, rather than bringing more workers into a system that is in need of significant repair and is likely to wear them out along with their Canadian-trained colleagues.

With the important and welcome recent announcement of the federal investment in health, there are resources available to enact the recommendations of this report. The new $25-billion investment into shared areas of priority is strongly related to the accessibility of family health services and retaining health workers in the system, both covered extensively in the HESA report.

In order to achieve meaningful improvement for the hard-working health professionals in Canada, as well as the patients they serve, it is imperative that the reports recommendations are transferred into timely and tangible action that leads to real change in an expedient and decisive way.

Family physicians are working hard at the forefront of health care and acutely feel the need for additional support and resources to modernize the system. We agree with the recommendations of the report increased family medicine training spots, reduced administrative burden, better data to form a strategy are all pressing concerns. What we need now is action that is quick and substantive. - Dr. Lawrence Loh, CFPC Executive Director and CEO

We are pleased that the Standing Committee on Health has heard the recommendations of frontline providers and that the committee recognizes the need for a comprehensive approach to address health workforce challenges. We firmly support the Committees recommendations, including implementing pan-Canadian licensure for health professionals; improving the collection, sharing, and use of health workforce data; and the creation of a pan-Canadian health human resource strategy. We urge the federal, provincial, and territorial governments to collaborate on implementing the Standing Committee on Healths recommendations. - Dr. Alika Lafontaine, President, Canadian Medical Association

CNA is pleased with the recommendations put forward by the HESA Committee, in particular the alignment with our joint HHR [Health Human Resources] Road Map. As the largest group of health care providers, nurses are in urgent need of concrete action to retain, return and recruit into a safe and sustainable health care system. The health workforce across Canada is in dire need of support, innovation, and planning, in order to address the current crisis and mitigate future challenges, such as optimizing nurses in primary care. We call upon all levels of government to urgently implement these actions, as our health care system cant wait. - Tim Guest, CEO, Canadian Nurses Association

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Health Workforce report recommendations are sound, now is the ... - Canadian Medical Association

Family Medicine

Doctor From Oakville Volunteers in Poland Providing Aid to … – Centralia Chronicle

By Owen Sexton / owen@chronline.com

While the war in Ukraine rages into its second year and becomes increasingly politicized in the United States, Dr. Patrick Jung, who grew up in Oakville, has returned from spending three months volunteering at a hotel in Poland to provide primary medical care to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion.

The 39-year-old Washington native said politics played no part in his decision to volunteer.

There are people that are suffering due to circumstances they cant control and those people have openly asked the world for help, Jung said.

He said he felt a connection to the Ukrainians he met while in Poland.

I think the Ukrainian people share our values and they want the same things we want. They want to be left alone. They want peace. They want freedom. And most of all, they want the opportunity to try to create better lives for their families, Jung told The Chronicle.

He found out about the volunteer opportunity through a social media post where he connected with a retired emergency room doctor from Massachusetts by the name of Dr. Brian Lisse, who got him into contact with the Pastoral Family Care Foundation in Przemyl, Poland.

The Pastoral Family Care Foundation is a Catholic volunteer organization under the Archdiocese of Przemyl with several sites in Poland that provide refugees with housing, food, medical and social services. Additionally, the foundation helps refugees get in contact with other Polish or international organizations to continue providing aid.

When the war started, one person in particular, Father Marek (Machaa), started to raise funds and find facilities and it went from basically housing a few families on site to having multiple sites throughout southeast Poland, Jung said.

Using an old hotel in Zatwarnica, the Pastoral Family Care Foundation set up a space where Ukrainian refugees can get some respite. Around 100 refugees called that particular hotel home while Jung was there.

While at the hotel, refugees either wait for the conflict in their country to end so they can return or move on to another country such as France, Germany or Italy seeking refuge.

Volunteer doctors are needed in the area right now as the nearest hospital to the hotel in Zatwarnica is about two hours away and it's even further for any other kind of medical specialists.

While Jung specializes in psychiatric medicine, he was the main primary care doctor during his time there. Though he did spend a lot of time diagnosing and treating common medical issues such as colds or earaches, people with chronic illnesses and injuries were also seen. Routine exams and checkups were also performed.

As you can imagine there were a fair amount of mental health concerns as well in that population, Jung said.

Despite being isolated in the mountains in southeast Poland, supplies were plentiful thanks to support from the Polish Red Cross and other volunteer organizations giving not just medical supplies but food, clothing and school supplies.

Children staying at the refugee hotel have the option of attending either Polish or Ukrainian school. Jung said kids often attend both.

In the evenings, we had activities organized for the kids, including arts and crafts, singing or sometimes just sledding and playing in the snow. Local volunteer teachers, musicians and many others came regularly to give their time and try to restore some normalcy to the situation that these families were facing, Jung said.

Jungs wife, Rhea, also joined him on the trip as she teaches language and volunteered her time helping with the childrens classes. And while they were both there to help the refugees, those refugees werent just sitting around.

Most of the adults would volunteer in some form or another, from cooking to gathering firewood for the hotels central furnace.

I dont speak Polish or Ukrainian. One of the ladies that came over as a refugee, she was an English teacher in Ukraine and very quickly picked up Polish and kind of became our volunteer medical-assistant-slash-interpreter, Jung said. She had been doing that ever since last April. She was wonderful.

The assistant, who went by the name of Liliia, would also help fellow refugees navigate Polish social service systems.

U.S. volunteers arent alone as Jung also saw volunteers from Italy, Germany and France during his time there.

He added the experience was unlike any other in his life, and while he still has love for his hometown, he felt that leaving Oakville was what led to him getting this volunteer opportunity.

Going to school (in Oakville), I loved it. Its a small town. You know everybody. Its a really safe place to grow up, but it does feel like your opportunities are limited, Jung said.

After graduating and leaving Oakville to work for a while, he then went to medical school in the Caribbean at the Saba University School of Medicine.

Once Jung graduated, he returned to Washington briefly and interned practicing family medicine in Puyallup for a year before moving on to focus on psychiatry at the University of Maryland Medical Center where he has been for the last three years now.

And while many refugees are finding shelter at places like the hotel in Zatwarnica, Jung said there are many with disabilities, and others who simply lack the means to leave, still trapped in Ukraine.

Some volunteers he worked with are still in Europe and are now helping others escape Ukraine.

Additionally, the Pastoral Family Care Foundation is still in need of more volunteer doctors and donations.

Those interested in donating or volunteering can visit Pastoral Family Care Foundations website at https://pfcf.pl/en/home-en/ or contact Lisse at brianlisse2@gmail.com for more information.

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Doctor From Oakville Volunteers in Poland Providing Aid to ... - Centralia Chronicle

Family Medicine

Penn Highlands Healthcare Is Training Tomorrow’s Physicians – GlobeNewswire

DuBois, Pennsylvania, March 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop once said, Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation. Penn Highlands DuBois enjoys the privilege of helping to raise the next generation of physicians through its Graduate Medical Education (GME) Program.

Physician education and training includes undergraduate studies, medical school and a residency program. Some physicians, who are pursuing certain specialties, continue with advanced fellowship training.

Throughout the United States, there is an increasing need for physicians in rural areas including here in Pennsylvania, said Kevin Wilson, DO, Director of the Penn Highlands DuBois Family Medicine Residency Program. Penn Highlands Healthcare developed challenging residency and fellowship programs that concentrate on educating physicians to competently, confidently and compassionately meet the demands of rural healthcare, he added.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rural Americans face numerous health disparities compared with their urban counterparts. More than 46 million Americans, or 15% of the U.S. population, live inrural areasas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The CDC reports that rural Americans are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke than their urban counterparts. The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that many rural physicians are nearing retirement and nearly 25% fewer may be practicing by 2030. It is becoming increasingly challenging to attract young doctors to rural practices.

Penn Highlands DuBois established its GME program in 2017 to help train physicians especially for rural healthcare. The program, which is accredited through the Accreditation Council for Graduated Medical Education, offers two residency disciplines Family Medicine and Psychiatry as well as a fellowship program in Sports Medicine.

Physicians training in the three-year Family Medicine Residency Program work one-on-one with attending physicians to see patients and perform procedures in multiple inpatient and outpatient settings. The Family Medicine residents have the opportunity to complete rotations in internal medicine, orthopedics, urology, sports medicine and other areas.

Grant Schirmer, DO, graduated from the Family Residency in 2022 and remained in Central Pennsylvania joining the Penn Highlands medical staff as a hospitalist at Penn Highlands DuBois.

While I was in medical school, I was attracted to the Penn Highlands Family Medicine Residency Program because I saw the potential to grow as a competent and caring physician and person, Dr. Schirmer explained. The Penn Highlands Family Medicine Residency Program provides plenty of opportunities to work alongside knowledgeable attending physicians in a rural community-based setting.

We feel very fortunate that Dr. Schirmer joined the Penn Highlands Healthcare medical staff as a hospitalist following completion of his residency, said Renee Allenbaugh, MD, Associate Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. Our GME program receives many qualified applicants who gain the necessary skills to be become outstanding physicians that our patients get to know and trust.

In 2021, Penn Highlands expanded its GME Program to include a Psychiatry Residency Program. The four-year program offers a comprehensive, patient-centered curriculum which prepares graduates for a broad scope of practice. The psychiatry residents receive diverse training through specialized inpatient and outpatient programs for children and adolescents, adults and the geriatric population.

Philip Akanbi, MD, MS, who currently serves as a Co-Chief of the Psychiatry Residency Program, finds the program to be a unique opportunity to care for and provide psychiatric care to a significantly underserved rural community.

I was attracted to this program due to its commitment to excellence, adaptability, and wellness. Dr Gangewere and our excellent leadership staff have taken strides to not only provide a broad range of clinical experiences but to continuously expand the breadth of didactics and learning opportunities, setting the stage for nurturing more well-rounded, competent, and resilient future psychiatrists, explained Dr. Akanbi.

Theres no greater privilege than training the next generation of psychiatrists, and I am deeply committed to ensuring that every resident who enters our program receives the education and the experience that will enable them to successfully confront the challenges of psychiatry, said Benjamen Gangewere, DO, Director of the Penn Highlands Psychiatry Residency Program.

In 2022, the Penn Highlands GME Program began offering a Sports Medicine Fellowship Program.

The one-year program enables one new fellow a year to work with some of the regions best Sports Medicine physicians. It provides opportunities for rotations, one-on-one time with attending physicians, time in the sports medicine clinic, on-site sports care, inpatient care and non-sports ambulatory care.

Dr. Christopher Varacallo, DO, is Program Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship. I am excited to be training future Sports Medicine physicians, said Dr. Varacallo.Penn Highlands Healthcare has made a commitment to the area by providing an unprecedented learning environment for a new wave of physicians to care for the people of our region.We are performing cutting-edge, state-of-the-art treatments and we are training our physicians to take these treatments forward with them into their practices.It is an exciting time to be a part of Graduate Medical Education with Penn Highlands Healthcare.

While the Penn Highlands GME Program provides invaluable hands-on training for physicians, the presence of residents and fellows in the hospital and throughout the health system provides an infusion of new ideas and techniques, benefitting established physicians, other hospital staff members and most importantly patients.

It is undisputed that patients benefit greatly from our graduate medical education programs, said Dr. Wilson. National research shows that hospitals with residency programs offer higher patient satisfaction due to less wait times and improved patient outcomes.

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Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011, and is comprised of eight hospitals Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley, Penn Highlands Tyrone -- that have served area communities for the past 100+ years. Penn Highlands State College, a new, state-of-the-art, technically advanced hospital, is slated to open in 2024. The health systems business continuum also includes a home care agency, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.

Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with 6,651 workers in 150+ locations throughout 26 counties in Pennsylvania that include community medical buildings, outpatient facilities, surgery centers and physician practices. The facilities have a total of 1,498 inpatient, skilled nursing and personal care beds. The system, which has 827 physicians and 405 advanced practice providers on staff, offers a wide range of care and treatments with specialty units for cancer, cardiovascular/thoracic, neurosurgery, pulmonology, neonatal and high-risk pregnancy patients. Being focused on what is important patients and families makes Penn Highlands Healthcare the best choice in the region.

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Penn Highlands Healthcare Is Training Tomorrow's Physicians - GlobeNewswire