A Wichita Falls residency program that’s been serving the community for the last 40 years is very optimistic about the future despite a recent disagreement with their training hospital.
Officials at the Wichita Falls Family Practice Residency Program say they were told that after 2 years United Regional Hospital no longer wants the residents to come and train in their facility. They say the hospital said it was because they wanted to bring in a medical school sponsored program rather than an affiliated one.
Program Director of the residency program, Dr. Ahmed Mattar, says he is excited about the future of the program. They are proposing managerial changes so their residents can continue to work at United Regional.
“What is being proposed is that we become a joint venture between the Community Healthcare Center and the residency program and we have talked to one of the major universities in Texas.”
He says though he can’t name the university yet – they are partial to family medicine and primary care. He says they’d be very happy to be affiliated with them and provide support. The university would partner with the center to run the residency.
Residency program officials say this is based on a very successful model that exists in Waco where the community health care center adopted a residency.
“Which is the model that makes a residency program top notch, which is what the hospital really wanted. We just couldn’t agree on the ways to do it.”
He says this new model is a win/win and economically good for everybody. It’s being proposed to United Regional and he hopes the hospital finds it acceptable and that the hospital board sees eye to eye with them and agrees.
“I think the hospital will be better off and most importantly the community is going to be better off. The needy patients of Wichita Falls that are served by both the Community Healthcare Center and the residency will benefit.”
He says under the new model there would be no disruption or loss of care and there will be no loss of the residency program – something he says will devastate the medical community in Wichita Falls and the surrounding areas.
Officials at the residency program say it would leave 10% of the economically challenged members of the community without the cost-effective health care the residents provide.
Phyllis Cowling, CEO of United Regional, met with Allen Patterson, CEO of the Wichita Falls Community Healthcare Center, today to discuss the potential arrangement.
– Newschannel 6
