MIDDLETOWN, NY — Garnet Health recently celebrated the graduation of its 10th class of resident physicians while welcoming a new class of resident doctors who will begin specialty training.

On July 1, 44 first-year resident physicians (PGY-1) will arrive at Garnet Health, bringing its total resident complement to 115 physicians across seven Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs: Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Psychiatry and Transitional Year. Thirty-eight resident physicians graduate this year, bringing the total number of specialty-trained physicians to 329 since Garnet Health became a teaching facility in 2014.

GME programs play a vital role in addressing the nation’s growing physician shortage by preparing the next generation while expanding access to high-quality care for the communities they serve, Garnet Health said. In the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions, residency programs help build a health care workforce and strengthen access to care close to home. “Patients also benefit from access to additional clinical resources that enhance the quality and coordination of their care.”

“Graduate medical education is one of the most important investments we can make in preparing the next generation of physicians,” said Ryan Punsalan, M.D., designated institutional official and internal medicine residency program director at Garnet Health. “Every resident who trains at Garnet Health strengthens their ability to provide excellent care while helping ensure our communities have access to highly skilled physicians.”

Through its undergraduate medical education (UME) program, the health system currently provides clinical education for 61 medical students across its Middletown and Catskills campuses, plus 40 physician-assistant students. The health system partners with Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine to provide hands-on clinical training for third-year medical students completing core and elective rotations alongside Garnet Health physicians and residents.

To learn more about Garnet Health, visit www.garnethealth.org/education.