Sutter Health Residents and Visiting Medical Students to Stay at Property
JACKSON, Calif. – Retired Sutter Amador Hospital Emergency Department physician Dr. Paul Beatty and his wife, Debra Lawlor, announced a foundational gift to Sutter Amador Hospital to support the growing graduate medical education program. Their generosity facilitated the purchase of a three-bedroom home in Jackson, Calif. to house resident physicians and visiting medical students training at the hospital, as well as other medical professionals.
“Research shows that roughly half of residents remain in the area they trained to become physicians in the community,” says Dr. Beatty. “I can’t think of a better way to honor the excellence of Sutter Amador Hospital than to provide convenient housing for our trainees and have them fall in love with our community as I did.”
It is estimated that 20% of the nation’s population lives in rural communities, but only 11% of physicians practice in these areas. The shortage of primary care providers in Amador County has resulted in lengthy wait times to receive an appointment, leading many community members to travel for regular healthcare visits or turn to the hospital’s emergency services for routine, non-urgent issues.
“We are thrilled to offer Sutter medical residents a place to stay as they learn at our hospital,” says Dr. Jennifer Shoemaker, medical director of Sutter Amador Rural Training Track. “Training the next generation of physicians is an important part of Sutter’s strategy to help address a critical shortage of physicians—especially in rural communities. In fact, one of the two inaugural residents of our program has accepted a position to stay with Sutter and began seeing patients last October out of our Plymouth office.”
Candidates in the Sutter Health Medical Residency Program in Sacramento spend their first year at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, an award-winning quaternary acute care hospital. From there, residents can choose urban Sacramento, the suburban Davis community or pursue the rural track at Sutter Amador Hospital. Sutter Health is expanding it graduate medical education programs, which now encompass more than 25 programs across the integrated network of care—with two new medical residencies serving Modesto announced in 2024.
“Sutter offers more than 25 graduate medical programs and accepts at least 200 residents and fellows annually,” says Dr. Dineen Greer, vice president, GME and designated institutional officer for Sutter. “Residents rotating from surgical or emergency services programs elsewhere in the Sutter system will have the opportunity to stay in this wonderful home as they learn about the unique community needs of a rural hospital.”
Possibilities Made Real Through Philanthropy
Sutter Amador is the only hospital in Amador County, serving a population of more than 45,000. In partnering with philanthropy, Dr. Beatty and Debra Lawlor are helping to seed the region with innovative healthcare leaders of the future by removing the barrier of finding a place to stay while physicians complete their training. This investment helps to expand access to care for underserved communities allowing people to stay closer to home to receive world-class healthcare.
“We are so grateful when physicians like Dr. Beatty and other community members choose to partner with philanthropy to expand and enhance graduate medical education programs at Sutter,” says Jody Boetzer, Sutter Health’s senior philanthropy officer. “There is a ripple effect of hope, healing and opportunity when meaningful gifts like this one help us transform care in our community.”
