Rural Health is National Health

Lakewood Rural Family Medicine Residency

Staples
MN
Rural Track Program
Family Medicine

Lakewood Health System Hospital Lakewood Health System Hospital is a 25-bed, critical access hospital serving the central Minnesota
counties of Todd, Morrison, Wadena and Cass counties. At LHS, a dedicated group of family medicine physicians and advanced practice
clinicians provide primary care, obstetrics, inpatient and emergency care in collaboration with specialty physicians and surgeons such as
general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pediatrics, hematology/oncology, cardiology, rheumatology, endocrinology and
palliative care. Five of the family physicians provide surgical obstetric care. Together, this dedicated team performs approximately 5,000
surgeries, delivers around 500 babies, and logs almost 10,000 emergency department visits each year. Lakewood’s mission is to provide
quality, personalized care for a lifetime, and our program takes that same personalized approach to supporting our residents. You’ll find
physician-mentors dedicated to your professional development and personal growth, opportunities to be involved in our community beyond the
hospital walls, and connections that will last a lifetime. High volume critical access labor & delivery unit (~500 deliveries per year) Level III
trauma center Brand-new Cancer Center and nationally recognized Rural Oncology Home opened in 2025 Robust Community Health
investments – The Nest wellness facility, pickle ball courts, Farmer’s Market and more Modern operating rooms, labor and delivery suites, and
more!

 

Our program is set up as follows: PGY 1 – North Memorial Health Robbinsdale Hospital & partner Clinics PGY 2 & 3 – Lakewood Health System
Hospital & Rural Health Clinics. I listed the Urban Partner program’s address in the first address block, and the LHS address for the “rural”
program address, but the students are considered Lakewood residents all three years.

Program Contact

Loren Walz, Provider Pipeline Program Manager
lorenwalz@lakewoodhealthsystem.com
218-894-8198

Program Director

Alex Harsha Bangura, MD
drharsha@lakewoodhealthsystem.com
218-894-8033

If you or your program would like to engage with RMTC, we’d love to connect! Join or support our collaborative to foster and sustain medica education in rural places.