Southern Regional Medical Center launches new medical residency program in Internal Medicine

(Riverdale, GA. - June 19, 2024) - Southern Regional Medical Center, a member of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, is proud to announce that it has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) for its new internal medicine residency program. Starting in July 2024, internal medicine residents (a primary care subspecialty) will receive their training at Southern Regional Medical Center while also completing specialty rotations in clinics within the community.

Board-certified internal medicine physician Claudia Fotzeu Toukam, MD, MPH, FACP serves as the Program Director. "I am proud to lead the new Internal Medicine program for our community. The residents will have a unique and personal mentorship with a faculty roster of expert physicians with diverse backgrounds," added Dr. Fotzeu Toukam. "Our goal is to train residents to be compassionate and skilled physicians, ensuring they receive the experiences necessary to prepare them for a successful future in medicine."

The Metro-Atlanta area, where Southern Regional Medical Center is positioned, is federally designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and a Healthcare Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) with an estimated shortage of 40 primary care physicians in the geographic region. Southern Regional Medical Center's residency program will directly help offset that shortage, providing experiences to expand and deepen comprehension of the health disparities, health inequities and social determinants of health in a medically underserved area. The three-year residency program will begin with 15 internal medicine residents per year for a total of 45 residents.

"The success of our program is key to addressing the shortage of physicians in our communities. Medical professionals are most likely to practice in the areas where they do their residencies," explained Ela C. Lena, Chief Executive Officer of Southern Regional Medical Center. "Having residents train in the very areas that need the most support not only bolster the numbers of clinicians in our underserved area, but also immerses them in an experience that enhances their understanding of the impact poor access to health care has on social determinants of health, health literacy and quality of life."

Southern Regional Medical Center is a member of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity recognized nationally for its clinical excellence. The Prime Healthcare Foundation consists of 14 not-for-profit community-based hospitals across the United States, proudly providing more than $3 billion in support of the communities served.

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About Southern Regional Medical Center: Southern Regional Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)3, is an accredited 331-bed acute care hospital located in Riverdale, Georgia, offers key services to the community including heart care, emergency services, labor and delivery, surgical services and more. For more information visit www.southernregional.org.