The R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education at Beebe Healthcare recently celebrated a major milestone: The four medical residents who joined Beebe three years ago as the inaugural class of its family medicine residency program have graduated.

All four physicians who were part of the inaugural cohort have committed to practicing long-term as members of Beebe's medical staff.

“When we decided to launch our family medicine residency, one goal was to position the R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education as a premier destination for top-of-the-line medical education and training, with new opportunities for physicians interested in family medicine to learn, grow and practice,” said Joyce Robert, MD, FAAFP, founding program director for Beebe’s family medicine residency. “A second and equally important goal was to draw new talent and clinical expertise into Sussex County and provide a phenomenal training experience that would inspire doctors to stay and become part of Team Beebe long term. We are so proud of how far we have come in such a short amount of time.”

Like many hospitals across the country, Beebe is thinking strategically about how to prepare for and manage the national physician shortage that is imminent in the U.S. and expected to reach critical levels by the year 2036.
 
The family medicine residency, along with other residency programs the organization recently announced and plans to launch this year and next, provides a proactive solution. The programs embed new-to-practice physicians into a community that is thriving, growing and has a demonstrated need for expanded access to healthcare. Research shows that on average, 50% of medical residents choose to remain in the communities where they train.

This creates a powerful system of continuity for clinicians who are working to build and grow their practices, and for patients in search of doctors they can trust to oversee their medical care throughout the course of their lifetimes.

“Expanding our physician workforce is essential to meeting the growing healthcare needs of our community and improving access to care,” said Dr. David A. Tam, president and CEO of Beebe Healthcare. “After years of medical school and residency training, these physicians have chosen to continue their careers at Beebe, and we are incredibly proud that every member of our inaugural family medicine residency class has committed to caring for the people of Sussex County. Their decision speaks to the strength of our residency program, the dedication of our physician faculty and care teams, and the meaningful relationships they have built with patients over the past three years. It also highlights the important role medical education plays in strengthening access to healthcare.
 
“With Delaware's first medical school on the horizon and Beebe's growing residency programs, we are helping create a pipeline of talented physicians who can train, practice and build their careers here while meeting the healthcare needs of our community for generations to come.”
 
Family medicine residents see patients at Beebe Primary Care Long Neck, facilitating thousands of additional primary care appointments each year and increasing access to timely care for patients with a wide range of medical issues and needs. Residents participate in a diverse range of specialty experiences, with exposure to emergency medicine, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology, pulmonary, pediatrics, intensive care, geriatrics, palliative, orthopaedics, ear/nose/throat, ophthalmology, urology and sports medicine services.

Upon completion of their comprehensive, multiyear clinical training program, residents are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to practice medicine independently.

“It is a great honor to serve as founding director of this residency program, and to have the opportunity to cultivate the next generation of skilled, compassionate family medicine physicians who will serve Sussex County,” said Robert. “We are very proud of our graduates and are thrilled that we will be able to witness and be part of their journeys, as they continue to grow as outstanding physicians.”