South Texas Health System launches its Internal Medicine Residency Program

4 months ago 133

MCALLEN, Texas – South Texas Health System announced the launch of its inaugural Internal Medicine Residency Program set to begin this July.

After receiving approval from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) earlier this month, the program will offer 20 spots to physicians seeking a residency in internal medicine as part of STHS’s Graduate Medical Education Consortium in partnership with Texas A&M University and ASAS Health.

The announcement follows the establishment of the hospital’s Family Medicine Residency Program in January, which will also kick-off this summer with a cohort of ten physicians from around the world.

In celebration of both launches, STHS held a ceremony at the Radisson Hotel McAllen Airport to talk about these achievements and its goals for the programs in the coming years.

Tom Castañeda, STHS system director of marketing and public relations, emceed the event and presented sobering facts about the physician shortage in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the nation’s most medically underserved areas. The Valley is also one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, with a projected population of 2.4 million by 2045. Without drastic action, the Valley is estimated to have one of the highest percentages of unmet need for primary care physicians by 2032.

However, work to address the shortage began decades ago. In a video presentation, the history of Valley’s first family medicine residency program was shared. Since its inception in 1977 with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the STHS McAllen Family Residency Program at STHS McAllen (formerly McAllen Methodist Hospital) has graduated over 300 physicians across 40 cohorts. Nearly 50 percent of those doctors have stayed in the Valley and have gone on to serve over 300,000 patients.

“STHS has always had its pulse on the needs of the community,” said Mary Alice Reyes, STHS board vice chairman. “And, it’s been at the forefront, leading the way in addressing those needs within an integrated – the largest integrated – network of care in the Rio Grande Valley. Although great strides have been made in expanding access, I think you all know that the need is still so very great and there is more work to be done. The [STHS] GME Consortium is going to continue that great work.”

State Sen. Morgan LaMantia, the keynote speaker for the ceremony, applauded STHS for their efforts and highlighted the need for more GME programs in the region.

“Many medical professionals decide to stay in the areas where they complete their residency programs,” said LaMantia. “And expanding residency slots and GME programs is integral to solving the problem of physician shortages. I’m confident that this program delivers significant benefits to ensure that our young professionals are well-prepared for the workforce, and that they choose to remain here in the Rio Grande Valley for many, many years to come.”

Dr. Youssef Majed, the designated institutional official and chief academic officer for the STHS GME Consortium, outlined the hospital’s plans to expand their residency and fellowship opportunities over the next three years. By 2026, they plan to have between 200 and 300 residents enrolled in different GME programs. In five years, they hope to have six to eight residencies in specialties like neurology, general surgery, and psychiatry as well as eight fellowships in subspecialties like nephrology, gastroenterology, and rheumatology.

In his speech, Majed thanked his colleagues and the GME program directors who will be overseeing the residencies. He said their impact will be felt in the Valley and beyond.

“Thank you for your leadership,” said Majed. “I know this is going to be a huge responsibility, leading your entire team and competing, in a healthy way, to make these programs the best of the best, not here for the Valley only, but across the states, across the nation. We’re not looking at [the] Rio Grande Valley. We’re not looking at a county here. We’re looking at the United States of America. In five years, we will be exporting physicians across the states. This is beyond just the Valley or the state of Texas.”

Dr. Asim Elahi, program director for the internal medicine residency program, assured Majed and the audience that he aims to provide the absolute best training for the physicians under his tutelage.

“My goal or mission is I’m going to train them the best way we can,” said Elahi. “We’re going to compete with the nation. It’s not going to be a Valley thing. It’s going to be the best in the whole U.S. And I’m sure with [parent company] UHS [Universal Health Services] and South Texas Health [System] on our back with all the resources, we can easily do that.”

Dr. Heidi Pareja, program director for the family medicine residency program, said she is looking forward to meeting her cohort and cannot wait to see them transform into the great doctors the Valley so desperately needs.

“I’m very excited, again, to have this opportunity to have ten residents coming on board,” said Pareja. “… It’s been a really amazing journey, just watching great physicians … and to see them bloom and turning into just amazing physicians that we need in our area.”

While the Valley will no doubt benefit from the influx of physicians to the area, Reyes says the residents themselves will receive an invaluable experience that few in their field ever get to encounter.

“The primary purpose of the consortium since it was initiated was to provide access of healthcare to underserved communities,” said Reyes. “That’s why as an educator I’m so excited that we are providing graduate medical students with the opportunity to learn about the needs of children and families in underserved communities. This will broaden their experience, their perspective, and will certainly serve them well in their medical careers to come. At the same time, they’re providing services to people, children and families who need it the most. That sounds to me like the best win-win situation ever.”

LaMantia closed the event by reflecting back on the communities so long neglected for which relief will finally come.

“This program is about bringing quality health care closer to home for our families and our neighbors,” said LaMantia. “It’s about ensuring every member of our community has the care that they need when they need it most and right in our own backyard. The impact of the work being done here will be felt far and wide. It resonates with the countless individuals and families I’ve had the privilege of talking with across our region. For me, access to quality health care is both a necessity and a lifeline, and I believe today’s program launch is significantly forward in our efforts to ensure that every resident has access to quality care.”

For more information about STHS’s GME Consortium, visit their website here.