Houston Healthcare welcomes class of 2020 family medicine residents

Houston Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program welcomed seven new residents and presented them their white coats during Tuesday afternoon’s white coat ceremony. Program Director Dr. La Toya Jackson, DO, said the white coat ceremony marks the medical school students’ transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences.

“These residents have graduated from medical school and now are ready to begin their ‘hands on’ education,” said Jackson. “We (Houston Healthcare) started this program in 2012. It began with nine residents, three second-year residents and six interns. It was born from a community physician’s family medicine practice and the hospital decided to start its own program. It has grown over the years.”

Jackson said the residents will go out into the community and surrounding areas to serve the primary care capacity. She said they will also see underinsured and uninsured patients, as well as working at the volunteer clinic.

“The program is a total of three years,” said Jackson. “And during these next three years, they will be rotating through various areas to increase their skills as physicians. As family medicine physicians, we treat patients from birth until death. So, they will be delivering babies, seeing teenagers, adults and the elderly. They will rotate from emergency rooms to cardiology, critical care, OBGYN and much more.”

“This year’s class is all females and it’s great,” said Jackson. “Female enrollment is up in medical schools across the nation. I believe and expect this class to do great things. There will be some challenges, but I believe they can concur them.”

The residents are from a range of areas including Tennessee, Pennsylvania, West Indies, Antigua, New York and one resident is a native of Georgia. Resident Cyrenah Stokely is a native of Kingsland. She graduated from the Edward Via Coll Osteo Med-Carolinas Campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“I have been away from Georgia from quite some time now, but I am excited to be back,” said Stokely. “My goal has always been to go into primary care. And through my years of school, it also has become a goal of mine to return to my home state and serve the rural areas. I am sure I will see all walks of life through this program, but again I am excited.”

Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Charles Briscoe of Houston Healthcare said physician shortages are real and are getting more dyer every day.

“This program allows Houston Healthcare to continue its commitment to the community and industry,” said Briscoe. “We are excited for this to continue to grow and we hope that most of these residents will make the decision to stay in this community.”

Dr. Larry D. Stewart Jr., vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer for Houston Healthcare, said he is looking forward to the achievements from this class.

“Nothing improves the overall quality of medicine than to have people who are actively engaged in learning,” said Stewart. “They will be providing real good care while involved in an academic environment.”

The fourth family medicine residency class graduated from the program Friday night. Look for the coverage in The Houston Home Journal’s Wednesday issue on July 5.

HHJ News