Saint Agnes Medical Center to begin new residency program

FRESNO – Saint Agnes Medical Center has been notified that its newly-established Internal Medicine Residency Program has been accredited to accept its first class of physician residents.

Notification came late Thursday from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), a private, nonprofit organization that evaluates and accredits graduate medical education (GME) programs throughout the country. With ACGME approval, Saint Agnes officially becomes an independent teaching hospital for the first time in its history.

“This is an exciting milestone for Saint Agnes and also has positive implications for our community,” said Nancy Hollingsworth, Saint Agnes Medical Center president and CEO. “As a teaching hospital, Saint Agnes will have an even greater opportunity to attract and cultivate new physicians, in order to improve access to care and better serve our Valley's growing population.”

Residency is the final phase of a long educational process required for a physician to practice medicine, and is most influential in determining where he or she eventually practices. In addition to its 3-year Internal Medicine Residency Program, Saint Agnes is already making plans to offer Family Practice and Emergency Medicine residencies, as well as a transitional year.

Now listed with the National Resident Matching Program, Saint Agnes will begin interviewing medical school graduates for its Internal Medicine Residency in mid-October, with its first class scheduled to begin July 2018. Approximately four preliminary residents, 12 categorical internal medicine residents and one fourth-year chief resident are expected to be selected.