Program Strengths

Program Strengths

1. Background
Established in 1975 in far Northern California, our fully accredited residency program enjoys an affiliation with the University Of California Davis School Of Medicine in a community setting.

2. Hospital support
The residency is sponsored by Mercy Medical Center, with 283 total beds, level II trauma center, regional cancer center, active cardiac surgery, and over 518 active medical staff members. Mercy provides beautiful facilities with excellent staff and ancillary services.

3. Medical staff support
The program involves six core clinical faculty members, with the assistance of over 138 volunteer clinical faculty physicians, comprising almost half of all hospital medical staff members. Our residents benefit from direct teaching by a combination of core faculty and community faculty. Residents learn directly from highly trained and respected board certified family physicians, internists, obstetrician gynecologists, emergency physicians, pediatricians, neonatologists, surgeons, orthopedists, intensivists, psychiatrists,   psychologists,  and multiple other specialists.

4. Effective teaching with good support, and abundant patient care opportunities
With only family medicine residents in our community, residents have direct hands-on experiences in all aspects of their training. Residents enjoy the patient diversity and hands-on experience of a charity teaching hospital, with the facilities, amenities and support of a private community hospital. Residents are provided with ample backup from preceptors and senior residents and can take on significant levels of responsibility when ready.

5. Rural and Underserved Training
During the rural rotation, residents work with rural community physicians in one of several rural settings. In addition to rural training, residents provide continuity care for mostly low-income patients at Mercy Family Health Center. The residency program also works with Shasta Community Maternity Center to provide comprehensive obstetrical care to low income and high risk patients. Residents also attend specialty and procedural clinics at Shasta Community Health Center. Many of our graduates have chosen to practice in areas of unmet need, mostly in the north state, but also across the nation and some internationally.

6. Outpatient training
In addition to the three-year continuity component of patient care at our Family Practice Center, well developed outpatient  rotations in the curriculum include cardiology, orthopedics, pediatrics, community medicine, gynecology, behavioral science, emergency medicine, ENT, ophthalmology,  and urology.

7. Collaboration with Shasta Community Health Center Family Medicine Residency Program
Shasta Community Health Center (SCHC), our local Federally Qualified Health Center, started a new family medicine residency program in 2013. We work closely with their program,  sharing resources  including inpatient and outpatient rotation experiences. This is an exciting collaboration which allows for additional clinical experiences for both programs’ residents. This is also an opportunity to train additional family physicians who we hope will settle permanently in Northern California and provide much needed primary care to our communities.

8. Electronic Health Records
Mercy Medical Center utilizes Cerner EHR for clinical documentation. Implementation of Cerner Outpatient EHR began in June 2015.

9. Reasonable call schedule
Hybrid night float/traditional call system.

• 1st year: 20-24 calls/year 24hr shifts
• 2nd year: 16-20 calls/year 24hr shifts
• 3rd year: 6-8 calls/year 24hr shifts 

10. Excellent Family Practice Center
At Mercy Family Health Center, the residents work alongside faculty in a group practice setting. Resident panels include abroad spectrum of ages, and clinical problems, from prenatal care to geriatrics. Residents are encouraged to recruit patients from the hospital into their clinic practice to enhance their learning experience. A current reference library with both hard copy and internet access is readily available at the Family Practice Center.

11. Family Practice Clinic Rotation provides well-rounded training
During the four 1-month long Clinic rotations (C1 & C2), residents see a higher volume of work-in and continuity care patients. They also participate in a variety of specialty clinics including colposcopy, minor surgery, HIV consultation, orthopedics, renal, dermatology, psychiatry, pediatric cardiology, and allergy. During these specialty clinics, residents render the appropriate care under direct supervision of the preceptor, thus maximizing the learning experience. The opportunity to develop strong outpatient skills and work one-on-one with such a wide array of specialists make this rotation particularly attractive, preparing many of our graduates to go on to practice in rural areas and other settings where a specialist may not be readily available.

12. Inpatient training
Our Family Practice residents do not compete with residents of other specialties, thus enhancing their training and the number of procedures they are able to perform. All residents receive certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Neonatal Resuscitation, and Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics, with opportunities for certification in Advanced Trauma Life Support. We utilize an on-line database called New Innovations to keep track of resident procedures.

13. Obstetrical training
Obstetrical training remains a strength of the program, with ample deliveries available during a resident’s training, including care of complex obstetrical patients. In addition, the program benefits from the support of the UC Davis Medical Center Perinatology Group, who come to Redding regularly. Perinatologists consult on high-risk OB patients and lecture during the residency noon conferences.
 
14. Relaxed, collegial interactions between residents and faculty
Residents, faculty physicians, and staff participate in many social and recreational interactions outside of the hospital, including the Annual Resident Retreat at Whiskeytown Lake. Residents and Faculty physicians share the Mercy Family Health Center facilities and patient care responsibilities.

15. Quality noon conferences
The curriculum features varied topics representing all major specialties on a rotating basis. Lectures are provided by enthusiastic community and core faculty. Hospital grand rounds are scheduled each Friday. Selected case presentations occur at “Morning Report” on Wednesday mornings.

16. Well-developed medical community relative to the size of Redding
Although only 92,000 people live in Redding, there are approximately 180,000 people living in Shasta County. Redding has the largest population of any city north of Sacramento; the referral base for Mercy Medical Center is quite extensive, resulting in a well-developed medical community with high levels of care and expertise.

17. High involvement of residents in the decision making and leadership
This is accomplished through regular resident-faculty meeting, and other administrative meetings which include the Chief Residents. Residents have the opportunity to voice concerns and strategize with the Chief Residents, their Faculty Advisors, and directly with the Program Director. Residents are involved in creating and implementing new ideas and programs.

18. Excellent compensation and benefits
Annual resident salaries range from $64,480 - $73,798 with 40 hours of sick leave per year, and 4 weeks of vacation per year. Residents also receive payment for yearly membership in the AAFP, and coverage for their California Medical License, DEA Certification and Board Testing. Other benefits include health, dental, and vision plans, meals while on duty, lab coats, and a book allowance.