Dr Bob Underwood: Welcome to another Compass Podcast,
where we bring you great information about healthcare and other topics from
around the Four Corners area. I'm Dr. Bob Underwood, the Chief Medical Officer
here at San Juan Regional Medical Center. And today, we have some exciting news
to share with you.

It's a great day for our community as we announce a recent
receipt of a grant to develop a primary care residency program. This grant,
provided by the New Mexico Human Services Department or HSD, will allow us to
address the critical need for primary care physicians in our community. Our
program will focus on equipping residents with the necessary skills, knowledge,
and hands-on experience to provide high quality care to patients of all ages
across a wide range of medical conditions.

We extend our deepest gratitude to HSD and the New Mexico
Primary Care Training Consortium for their generous support of making this
program possible. Their commitment to improving healthcare and investing in the
future of primary care in the four corners area is truly commendable. Now, this
is going to take a few years to bring the program to full fruition, but this
incredible opportunity will have far reaching and long-term benefits for the
hospital and our community as a whole.

This generous grant is set to establish a primary care
residency program aimed at training and preparing medical school graduates to
become skilled primary care physicians. This is a major milestone for us as it
opens up new possibilities for enhancing healthcare services and access right
here in the Four Corners area.

Now, you might be wondering, what does this really mean for our
hospital and our community? Well, let me tell you. By launching this residency
program, our hospital will be able to attract top-tier medical school graduates
who will undergo comprehensive training in primary care medicine. This means
that our community will have access to a team of highly qualified and dedicated
physicians right here in our own backyard.

The benefits of having a primary care residency program are
many. Firstly, it addresses a significant shortage of primary care physicians
that many communities across the country face, ours included. By training and
retaining these doctors within our community, we ensure that our patients and
community members will have ongoing access to quality primary care, improving
their overall health outcomes.

Additionally, the presence of a residency program will foster a
culture of medical education and research within our own hospital and clinics.
These young physicians will bring fresh perspectives and cutting edge knowledge
to our medical staff, elevating the level of care provided to all of our
patients. Residency programs serve as a hub for continuous learning, creating
an environment where innovation and best practices thrive.

Additionally, the program will bring economic benefit to our
community. As the reputation of our hospital grows as a training center for
physicians, we'll attract more healthcare professionals, support staff and
medical students. This in turn will create job opportunities, stimulate the
local businesses and contribute to the overall economic development of our
community, and it doesn't stop there. The benefits of this residency program
extend beyond our immediate community as these new physicians graduate and
enter the workforce, they will carry the skills and experiences gained here to
other underserved areas, spreading high quality primary care throughout the
region and beyond. Our hospital will grow as a beacon of healthcare excellence,
known for its commitment to training the next generation of primary care
providers.

In closing, receiving this grant for our primary care residency
program is a tremendous achievement for San Juan Regional Medical Center. We're
filled with excitement and optimism about the positive changes it will bring.
With a steady stream of talented medical school graduates joining our ranks,
we'll ensure that the health and wellbeing of our community will be in
excellent hands for years to come. Thanks for listening, and we'll keep you
updated on the progress of our residency program as it continues to unfold.

That's all for this Compass Podcast episode. Listen every week
for more updates and stories. And as always, thanks for trusting us as we
deliver life better here.