Two new family doctors are now seeing patients at International Community Health Services (ICHS) in Seattle, WA, after being matched through a new partnership with Swedish Family Medicine Residency/Cherry Hill. The residents, Drs. Lisa Chan and Tiffany Ho, are onboard as part of the ICHS-Swedish partnership. This is the first year that ICHS hosts family medicine residents as one of the recent additions to the clinic sites of the Swedish Family Medicine Residency/Cherry Hill program.

“We are very excited to welcome our new family medicine residents and kick-off the family medicine residency program at ICHS,” said Dr. Christopher Yee, ICHS International District clinic site director.  “Our patients will benefit from having these talented and skilled medical providers, while our residents will get hands-on experience and hone their skills working with a very diverse group of patients,” he said.

The launch of family medicine residency program at ICHS is part of a broad national trend of health centers “growing their own” providers through training and residency programs. Besides the family medicine residency program, ICHS also hosts dental and advanced nurse practitioner residency programs.  The goal is to provide evidence-based, quality health care to underserved, economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, and disenfranchised communities.

“As an advocate for community health, I am excited to join an organization that dedicates its services to the local community,” said Dr. Ho.

For Dr. Chan, there were a number of factors that led her to choose ICHS for her residency.   “The vibrant neighborhood, passionate staff, and diverse patients drew me to ICHS,” said Dr. Chan. “I’m excited to work in a clinic that is so active and engaged in the community it serves.”

Nearly all health centers are participating in some kind of education or training—for students, residents, or both, according to a NACHC report.  Family physician and nurse practitioner are the provider types most commonly trained at health centers.  Twenty-two percent of health centers report that they now hold the accreditation for their own residency programs.