Partners in Excellence

At the heart of healthcare are family medicine physicians. These doctors provide  comprehensive health care through all stages of life, developing lasting, caring relationships with patients and their families. There is a critical need for family medicine physicians nationwide. The state of Washington is no exception. In rural areas, such as eastern Washington, it’s one of the most difficult fields of medicine to recruit and retain physicians.

Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and Pullman Regional
Hospital are partnering to develop a solution by creating a Family Medicine Residency Program based in Pullman, WA.

Program Vision

• Train future physicians in leadership, business, and team-based care
• 70% of medical school graduates in Washington will establish a medical practice in the state where they complete their undergraduate and graduate medical education
• Some studies have shown that more than half (56%) of family medicine residents stay within 100 miles of where they graduated from residency

Family Medicine Residency Center

Through the power of philanthropy, a family medicine residency center was constructed in 2022.

• Located within Pullman Regional Hospital, in what used to be administration offices, fiscal services, and medical records
• 14 patient exam rooms
• Patient waiting room and reception area
• Conferencing and education room
• Procedure rooms
• Faculty and resident office space

Gift of Access to Exceptional Primary Care in Rural Eastern WA

To establish and maintain a premiere family medicine residency program at Pullman Regional Hospital,  funding is needed to support:

• Leadership:  Faculty leadership helps educate, train, recruit and retain the best resident physicians who have an interest in rural medicine.
• Sustainability: Educational and training experiences of resident physicians will be carried
  out now and into the future.
  
• Access: More than half of residents stay and continue to practice in the same state of their residency program
  

Ambassador Program

The Pullman Community Ambassadors serve as a community connection for the Family Medicine Resident Physicians and their families. They interact with residents and/or their families on a regular basis providing information about city services and programs, answering questions, and being a local resource for meeting people and engaging them in the community.

“Transitioning from medical school to residency is a process, and the Ambassador Program here in Pullman provided so much support throughout the entire transition. I was first introduced to the Ambassadors when I visited Pullman as a part of the interview process. They added so much to my experience that day, and have continued to do so throughout the months since I moved here.” – Dr. Jeff Ward, Physician Resident (Cohort 1)