DRMC residency program taking root

Puraj Patel was born at the Danville hospital. Now at age 26, he hopes to come back to the area and serve as a surgeon.

Patel grew up in Danville and enrolled at Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He spent his third and fourth years of medical school participating in monthly rotations to learn different areas of medicine at Danville Regional Medical Center. He also spent four months learning at hospitals in other cities.

“The experience — it’s unparalleled,” he said about DRMC. “It’s on par if not better than other hospitals.”

Educators and DRMC staff developed the medical education program five years ago. Because of student interest in returning to the hospital for their postgraduate residencies, VCOM has worked with the hospital for the past three years to establish a residency program.

Staff and physicians started interviewing applicants last week. The program starts in July 2010.

The goal? Growing the number of physicians in the Dan River Region.

“In Danville, there is a tremendous opportunity to create a broader, deeper primary care base,” Dr. John M. Kauffman Jr. said. “People tend to practice where they train … We believe that is the successful formula for meeting the physician shortage.”

Kauffman serves as chief academic officer for the Osteopathic Medical Network of Excellence and Education and associate dean for postgraduate affairs at VCOM. The medical school recruits students from medically underserved areas who may return to the region and practice medicine.

So far, Danville Regional Medical Center is approved for 16 rotating one-year internships and six spots each year for a family practice residency lasting three years, Kauffman said. In three years at full capacity, 34 doctors in residency could roam the halls of the hospital and other local clinics and doctor’s offices.

Educators are also applying to offer a residency program for internal medicine, which could help meet the need for more hospitalists, he added. Funds from the Danville Regional Found-ation will also help with a loan repayment program for residents, who may come out of medical school with as much as $160,000 in debt.

With such a debt load, it’s more difficult for doctors to practice primary care where salaries are lower than in specialized care, Kauffman explained. Primary care doctors manage patient health with preventive programs. Osteopathic physicians manage health in a holistic manner.

Kathy Johnson, the hospital’s administrative medical education coordinator, sees the residency program as a natural evolution from the medical education program. Johnson has worked with medical students the past three years. Students tell her they get more hands-on and one-on-one experience with physicians than at city hospitals where residents and students are tiered in what they can do.

“What we’re finding is they’re really kind of ahead of the game,” Johnson said. “We’re going to be building and growing physicians here that may want to stay in our community. As Danville welcomes them, they’re going to want to stay.”

Generally, about one-third of residents want to practice medicine in the area where they received training, said Dr. Michael Moore, director of Continuing Medical Education at DRMC.

VCOM and other medical schools are developing more doctors to meet the physician shortage. Experts predict the country will be 100,000 physicians short by 2025. These doctors need somewhere to train in residency to get their board certifications.

That’s another reason why schools like VCOM are reaching out to community hospitals, Moore said. He estimates that between 10 and 15 students come to Danville each month for their rotations.

Additionally, the presence of the students injects enthusiasm into patient care while their mentors strive to read, research and provide quality education, Moore said.

“That’s going to play a big role in meeting the needs of our underserved community,” Moore said. “It’s win-win-win.”

Dr. Stacy Lahti, a gynecologist at Danville Women’s Care, is helping to develop the residency programs and internships. Lahti started interviewing applicants on Nov. 11.

She said she thinks Danville and the region need better access to health care. She believes the presence of students improves patient care as they develop rapports with patients and offer helping hands.

“We’re very excited about it,” she said. “Our goal is to train and retain physicians to the Southside area.”

Danville may retain at least one surgeon as mentors urge Puraj Patel to come back and practice. Dr. Gary Lahti inspired Patel to seek a career as a general surgeon.

“It was awesome,” Patel said about his rotation with the Danville surgeon. “It changed my mind about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”