People love to live here. They appreciate the Pacific Northwest lifestyle and all it offers – from trails to tulips. For many people in rural areas across the country, the sheer richness of life surrounded by nature can also come with drawbacks. For many, this drawback is the limited access to timely and specialized healthcare services.

Fortunately, Skagit Regional Health (SRH) has invested in solutions to address this. For the past 15 years, our medical education program has played a critical role in expanding access to care while training the next generation of physicians.

Enhancing patient care

Today, our team of 38 Graduate Medical Education (GME) residents provide essential care in several key areas:

• Emergency care follow-ups: Many patients leaving the emergency room lack a primary care provider. Residents help bridge this gap.
• Hospital discharge transitions: Patients sometimes face challenges after being discharged from the hospital. Our residents help to improve continuity of care.
• Family and Internal Medicine visits: More physicians means shorter wait times for routine and preventive care, making it easier for patients to receive the care they need.
• Long-term impact: Many of our residents choose to stay and practice locally, strengthening our region’s medical workforce.

Beyond the hospital: Serving the community

SRH residents contribute to the community in meaningful ways:

• Inspiring future healthcare professionals: At the Mount Vernon High School Science Fair Night, local high school students meet residents, sparking interest in inspiring medical careers.
• Helping vulnerable neighbors: Residents partner with local organizations like Community Action and Friendship House to provide care for individuals without stable housing – working on-site to address health needs before an Emergency Department visit is needed.
• Advancing medical knowledge: Residents present clinical research at our Annual Scholarship Day and publish papers on research activities, driving innovation in patient care.

Who we train

Our program welcomes:

• Medical students from Pacific Northwest University (PNWU) of Health Sciences in Yakima, Washington, for third- and fourth-year clinical rotations.
• New medical school graduates from across the U.S. and internationally, completing rigorous three-year residencies before entering independent practice.
• Visiting residents in different fields, for a community education experience.
• Early college students interested in medicine as a career — for shadowing experiences.

A lasting impact

We know that physicians are more likely to settle and begin their professional careers in the area where they train. With 99% of medical residencies located in urban or suburban areas, this leaves little flow into our rural communities, which in turn limits exposure to medicine as a career choice.

Through our investment in training and mentoring these medical students and graduates, SRH is actively shaping the future of healthcare in our region.

Residents learn here. Then they live here.

• 89 physician residents graduated from our medical residency program.
• 62 graduates still practice in Washington state – most serve rural communities in need.
• 28 graduates are still employed at Skagit Regional Health.

“In support of our vision, we seek to improve lives through compassionate and innovative healthcare by training and retaining physicians for rural Washington,” said Connie Davis, MD, MHA, Chief Medical Officer. “With a particular interest in primary care medicine (family medicine and internal medicine), these graduates are well prepared to face the unique challenges of practicing medicine in our rural communities.”

Thanks to Skagit Regional Health’s Graduate Medical Education program, our community benefits from a strong and growing medical workforce. When you trust your care to our team, you’re ensuring access to high-quality healthcare – now and in the future.

15-year timeline (2010-2025)

July 2010 – SRH welcomed first cohort of medical students from PNWU

June 2012 – SRH welcomed first GME residents

June 2014 – First two GME residents graduated

May 2024 – Ramsbottom Scholarly Activity Financial Endowment gifted to fund GME program

January 2025 – SRH Internal Medicine Residency team awarded 2024 United Hero Award*
*United Healthcare recognition for delivering excellent patient experiences.

2025 – SRH celebrates 15 years of medical education