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Residents in Kearney will complete their rotations at CHI Health Good Samaritan, a 267-bed facility, which serves a population of 340,000 located across central Nebraska and northern Kansas. The largest hospital outside of the Omaha and Lincoln area, CHI Health Good Samaritan offers medical and surgical services typically found only in metropolitan areas, providing residents a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience that will benefit them wherever they may practice in the future. CHI Health Good Samaritan sees nearly 10,000 inpatient admissions a year, and in 2012, expanded the hospital to include new intensive care and Progressive Care medical/surgical floors, new operating rooms, and an expanded heart center.
Physicians on staff at CHI Health Good Samaritan have come both from Kearney and the surrounding rural communities, as well as from other areas of the nation seeking a progressive community without the burden of long commutes, crowded streets and a high cost of living. CHI Health Good Samaritan also attracts international physicians, many of who came to Kearney through J-1 Visas and chose to stay in the community long after their Visa obligations were met.
CHI Health Good Samaritan has hosted the Rural Residency Training Track since 1993. The UNMC Rural Residency program is very competitive with 35-50 residents interviewed each year. You can find the application online.
In Kearney, residents have the opportunity to train under the mentorship of Dr. Rob Messbarger, a program veteran who has taught residents since 1997. Dr. Amy Paysen, physician at Family Practice Associates and former resident, says, “I loved my time with the Kearney Rural Residency Track. Dr. Messbarger was the main reason I chose Kearney. I felt very comfortable with him as the Director and felt that we shared a lot of the same values. I also felt that his style of practice was how I wanted to practice, as well.”
Residents in the Kearney program have access to a wide variety of primary care practitioners and specialists to serve as mentors. Rotations are flexible and include departments such as behavioral care, cardiology, emergency medicine, obstetrics, orthopedics, and many others.
The medical community is welcoming of residents and participates fully in the program.
Dr. A.J. Strickland says, “Kearney is a great place to get an authentic, well-rounded family medicine training experience. Here I feel like a colleague and respected member of the medical community. I couldn’t ask for a better group of physicians to learn from then those here. With the Rural Residency Training Track set up to closely resemble the structure and lifestyle of a full spectrum family physician, I have no doubt that when I’m finished with my training, I will be able to hit the ground running.”
In Kearney, “home base” is Family Practice Associates with seven physicians and three Physician Assistants, offering a full range of services from prenatal care to geriatrics. Family Practice Associates is proud to employ three physicians who completed the UNMC Rural Residency Track program, all of whom are happy to share their experiences and answer any questions you may have.
Residents will complete rotations at the various specialty clinics in town and will spend one month, during their third year, at a rural clinic of their choosing.
