Program enhances ability to recruit, train future physicians, expand access for patients
CRESCENT CITY, Calif. – Sutter Coast Hospital received national accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for a new family medicine rural residency program set to start in 2026.
The program represents a strategic opportunity to address physician shortages as rural communities face persistent gaps accessing primary care. It also helps increase training pathways in areas like Crescent City so more patients may benefit from sustained, high-quality care.
“We are innovating to create more pathways to build the physician workforce across our communities,” said May Hong, M.D., family medicine physician and program director of Sutter Coast Hospital’s Family Medicine Residency Program. “This program cultivates a more sustainable source of talented physicians dedicated to practicing in rural areas many of us call home.”
The program will emphasize comprehensive, community-focused training designed to prepare learners for practice in rural settings. Physician residents will spend their first year in Sacramento, building a strong clinical foundation. During their second and third years, residents will train in Crescent City, with experiences in both the hospital and community clinic.
Under the guidance of board-certified clinicians, physician residents will train inside the 49-bed hospital in inpatient medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, behavioral health and other electives tailored to their career goals. In the community clinic, they will focus on rural primary care and population health. They will gain experience in tracking patients’ health over time and the delivering services in resource-limited environments.
“Our goal is to train physicians who are not only clinically excellent, but also deeply connected to the communities they serve,” said Danielle Preston, Sutter Coast Hospital’s residency program supervisor. Throughout their training, residents will receive hands-on instruction in both inpatient and outpatient settings, developing procedural skills, leadership abilities and meaningful relationships within the community. The program is designed to fully integrate learners into rural life and prepare them for the unique challenges and rewards of rural medical practice.”
“Our system remains on pace to become one of the largest community-based health care training institution in Northern California,” said Lindsay Mazotti, M.D., Sutter Health’s chief medical officer of medical education and science. “By achieving accreditation for this new program, we are better positioned to lead the delivery of high-quality care in communities across the state, equipping learners with comprehensive clinical skills, relationship-building experience and a commitment to advancing community health in rural areas.”
The three-year program will begin recruiting physician residents in fall 2025 via the National Residency Match Program. The program aims to train six residents, focusing on two residents per year.
For more information about Sutter Health’s growing graduate medical education programs, visit www.suttermd.com/education/gme.
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