Doctors finish training at DRMC

Eight doctors finished postgraduate internships at Danville Regional Medical Center through affiliation with Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The students completed one-year traditional rotating internships, working with Danville physicians in a variety of areas including general hospital medicine, pulmonary medicine, emergency medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology and psychology.

Saturday’s ceremony at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research marked the program’s inaugural graduation.

“We are honored to be a part of the process of training new primary care physicians,” said Dr. Saria Saccocio, DRMC chief medical officer. “We started our internship training program, along with our internal medicine and family medicine residency programs, in hopes that physicians who train here will want to practice here.”

Four of the graduates attended VCOM, while the other four students transferred from various states: Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Iowa. 

“I thought it was great,” said Dr. Mary Beth Russell of Iowa. “I really enjoyed spending my time here.”

On June 8, Russell and Dr. Rachel Click both received awards from VCOM for their exceptional work with third-year medical students on their clinical rotations.

For the past six years, Danville Regional trained third- and fourth-year VCOM medical students during their clinical rotations. Last year, DRMC added postgraduate education: one-year internships and two- and three-year residency programs in internal medicine and family medicine.

Eric Taylor, a VCOM graduate who now lives in Danville, finished his first year of the internal medicine residency.

“The physicians here are some of the best I’ve worked with,” Taylor said.

The former cardiopulmonary technologist came to Danville because he knew local patients needed more assistance. He pursued medicine to impact patient health.

“I enjoy the interaction with the patient,” Taylor said. “I enjoy being there, being a part of it.”

Dr. Lenworth Beaver, in obstetrics and gynecology, had one or two students follow him each month. He thinks the program is a great idea because it helps recruit doctors to the area. Additionally, Beaver said it helps quality of care because more people are available to care for patients.

Lauren Miller, who graduated from VCOM this year, completed five clinical rotations at Danville Regional so far and plans to enter the internal medicine residency program this fall.

The program brought Miller, daughter of local cardiologist Dr. Gary Miller, home.

“This is an underserved area and you’re bringing health care as well as training,” Miller said.

Internship graduates are: Drs. Melanie Adams, Jose Chavez, Rachel Click, Fielding Fitzpatrick, Eric Taylor, Sanlare Gordon, Mary Beth Russell, Shania Seibles and Eric Taylor.

Bozick reports for the Danville Register & Bee