Beebe’s Rollins Center for Medical Education continues to grow

The R. Randall Rollins Center for Medical Education at Beebe Healthcare will mark a major milestone in its graduate medical education journey as it prepares for its fourth match day and continues to expand residency training opportunities in Sussex County.

Launched four years ago with the goal of building a comprehensive and respected training environment for new physicians, Beebe’s graduate medical education programs have grown beyond their initial scope. In addition to bringing academic medicine to the region, the programs have increased access to care by expanding specialty services and physician capacity at Beebe’s Long Neck location.

“We are committed to developing the next generation of physicians who will help shape the future of healthcare,” said Jeffrey Hawtof, MD, FAAFP, director of medical education at Beebe. “By investing in graduate medical education, we are strengthening our workforce, improving access to care and supporting the long-term health of our community.”

Beebe will participate Friday, March 27, in the National Resident Matching Program’s Match Day, when medical students learn where they will complete their residency training. Beebe will announce its fourth class of family medicine residents, its first class of pharmacy residents and its first class of transitional-year residents. The organization will also learn the members of its fifth class of core clinical campus students from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“This match day is especially meaningful as we prepare to graduate our first family medicine residency class and launch new training programs,” said Tanya Ray, administrative director of graduate medical education at Beebe. “The growth we have achieved in a relatively short period reflects the strength of our programs, and the dedication of our faculty and team members.”

Beebe’s Family Medicine Residency program will graduate its inaugural class this summer, with all four residents choosing to remain at Beebe following completion of their training. The residency will also expand this year, welcoming six new residents for the first time.

“The fact that our first group of residents are staying in Sussex County speaks to the impact of training physicians where they are needed most,” said Joyce Robert, MD, FAAFP, founding director of the family medicine residency program. “We train physicians within our culture and our community, and that experience encourages them to build their careers here.”

New residency offerings are set to launch this summer, including a pharmacy program with two residents and a transitional-year program welcoming eight residents this summer. Both programs are designed to optimize clinical excellence, leadership development and workforce growth across the health system. Beebe’s expanding GME programs are supported by continuous faculty recruitment, including physicians who deliver patient care while also mentoring and educating residents and medical students.

“With every new program, we are strengthening Beebe’s ability to care for patients today while building a strong physician pipeline for the future,” said Marisa Conti, DO, FACOI, founding program director for the transitional-year residency and associate program director for the soon-to-launch internal medicine residency.

Conti is also among the new faculty members for Beebe’s Graduate Medical Education programs. New faculty members also include Nicholas DeStefano, MD, associate program director for family medicine residency; Kaitlyn Ruffing, MD, an internal medicine and pediatrics care provider who works as a hospitalist at Beebe; Kunwal Nasrullah, MD,  an internal medicine specialist and academic hospitalist; Jenna Dafgek, MD, a family medicine physician who provides care for patients of all ages; and Jean Ann Yaccino, DO, an academic hospitalist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of kidney disease and hypertension, and has a clinical interest in addressing the impact of diabetes on the body.