3 new doctors join Madras residency program aimed at expanding rural healthcare
MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Three new medical residents joined the Three Sisters Rural Track Program in Madras this week to focus on rural family medicine. Drs. Nathaniel Cheney, Jolene Gremel and Patrick Roach will provide care for up to 1,200 patients annually in Jefferson County primary care clinics and at St. Charles Madras.
The residency, sponsored by Oregon Health & Science University, is the first graduate medical education program in Central Oregon. The physicians recently completed their first year of training in Portland and will now spend two years serving patients in Jefferson County.
The residents conduct rotations at local hospitals and with area specialists. Their training encompasses several medical fields, including family medicine, family birthing, emergency medicine, behavioral health and hospital medicine. They also have learning opportunities at the Indian Health Service's Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center.
Dr. Cheney grew up in Bend and attended Walla Walla University and Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He will serve at St. Charles Family Care in Madras. Dr. Roach, who attended California. State University, Chico and Touro University California, will also serve patients at St. Charles Family Care.
Dr. Gremel attended Baylor University and OHSU. She will serve patients at Mosaic's Madras Health Center. Dr. Katie Snyder, the clinical medical director for Mosaic's Madras Health Center and a residency program teaching physician, welcomed the new addition. “We look forward to welcoming Dr. Gremel to our team at Mosaic,” Snyder said. “The residency program significantly increases access to excellent and comprehensive primary care for local residents and we are proud to be a part of it.”
The new class joins two existing residents who are currently in their final year of training in Madras. Dr. Jinnell Lewis, RTP director and St. Charles family doctor, said the program helps provide care for the community. “It is thrilling to see the residency program taking off and helping serve our community now and into the future,” Lewis said.
Long-term estimates suggest the program will significantly expand regional health care capacity. Research indicates approximately 55% of physicians stay within a 100-mile radius of their residency site. Within 10 years, the program is projected to produce more than 20 physicians who would reside in Central Oregon and provide care for 20,000 to 40,000 regional patients.
The program involves two of the region's major health care organizations. St. Charles Health System, headquartered in Bend, is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 5,600 employees. Mosaic Community Health is a nonprofit center that operates more than a dozen clinics across the region.
