News

The Universal Health Services Southern California Medical Education Consortium (UHS SoCal MEC) has been approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to launch four new programs in July 2022 for General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pulmonary and Sports Medicine, facilitated through Temecula Valley Hospital, Southwest Healthcare System and Corona Regional Medical Center.

“We are extremely excited to continue adding Graduate Medical Education training to Southwest Riverside County with the recent additions of our UHS SoCal MEC residency programs in OB/GYN and General Surgery, and fellowships in Pulmonary and Sports Medicine,” said Michael Nduati, MD, MBA, MPH, FAAFP, Chief Academic Officer and Designated Institutional Official, UHS Southern California Medical Education Consortium. “With our dedicated physician faculty and future graduates, we will continue to raise the level of clinical care and help address physician shortages in the region. These training programs will provide a significant positive impact for the communities we serve.”

Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency

The Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency is a four-year program under the direction of Kimberly Tustison, MD, and will accept three residents per year at Southwest Healthcare System. The program aims to provide superior education and develop resilient physicians who will provide professional, compassionate, high-quality obstetric and gynecologic healthcare for women. The program strives to train physician leaders to care for the women of our community. The curriculum includes inpatient obstetric care; comprehensive gynecologic care in the office, hospital and operating rooms; ambulatory training in private clinics, continuity clinic and the outpatient surgery center; and sub-specialty experiences including gynecologic oncology, outpatient and inpatient maternal fetal medicine, urogynecology, family planning and reproductive endocrinology and infertility.

General Surgery Residency

The new fully accredited General Surgery Residency Program is a five-year program, placing three residents per year at Corona Regional Medical Center, Southwest Healthcare System and Temecula Valley Hospital. This new program will expand surgery training opportunities and attract more top medical talent to the Inland Empire. The program will enable UHS to train the next generation of surgeons to provide compassionate care with a commitment to improving the health of the diverse communities we serve.

Pulmonary Fellowship

The Pulmonary Fellowship Program, led by David Lee, MD, is a two-year program for two fellows per year at Temecula Valley Hospital. The program provides excellent exposure and training in all aspects of pulmonary disease from routine outpatient practice to advanced lung disease and transplantation. The primary goal of this program is to train a competent, well-rounded specialty consultant to prepare them for a broad range of career opportunities upon graduation. This training is provided by both didactic instruction and direct patient care under the direct supervision of expert pulmonary, critical care, sleep medicine and other faculty. Didactic instruction is provided in all areas of pulmonology and critical care as outlined in the specific topic areas required by the ACGME.

Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship

The Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship is a one-year program with two sports medicine fellows led by Jerry Hizon, MD. This program will help in the community with team care, event care and individual care of active/athletic patients. It will use advanced musculoskeletal ultrasound to aid in exact diagnosis. The fellows will engage in community service at the local high schools, Mount San Jacinto College and Temecula Valley Pop Warner teams, and will academically be involved with the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine, Olympic Training Facility and Ballet Performing Arts in San Diego, Ski Trauma at Mammoth Mountain and anatomy teaching high schools of Temecula Valley Unified School District. At the conclusion of their training, fellows will sit for the sports medicine boards to obtain a certificate of added qualifications in Primary Care Sports Medicine.

“Adding these additional residency programs on top of our already successful Family Practice, Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine programs enables us to provide additional support to our patients, facilities and community,” said Brad Neet, Group Vice President for the UHS Southern California Region. “In addition, we are excited to begin our Cardiology Fellowship program at Temecula Valley Hospital in July 2022. Our goal is to retain these individuals in order to ensure high-quality care over the long-term in Southwest Riverside County.”

2022 Graduation

On Friday, June 10, the UHS SoCal MEC held a graduation ceremony at the Summit Ballroom, Pechanga for the graduating medical resident class of 2022, which included four Family Medicine residents, 22 Internal Medicine residents and 13 Transitional Year residents.

Darlene Wetton, CEO of Temecula Valley Hospital, provided the welcome address as keynote speaker for the event. “Being first in anything is important and gives you a legacy that no one can ever take away," Wetton told the graduates. "It takes tremendous courage to be first. No one has charted these waters before you or climbed this mountain. You have climbed the summit and achieved your goal as the inaugural graduating class of residents from the UHS SoCal MEC. I know this experience has changed your lives and will have a tremendous impact on all the residents who will be honored to follow in your footsteps. Congratulations on this tremendous achievement."