HMS Family Medicine Residency Program Graduates First Rural Residents

Photos and Article by Shirin McArthur

The first class of Hidalgo Medical Center's Family Medicine Residency Program was honored at a graduation ceremony at Bear Mountain Lodge on Saturday afternoon.

Doctors Ben Cluff and Algele "Cid" Sumulong are the first residents to complete this training program in rural medicine, which was accredited in May of 2013. Both graduates will be moving to Las Cruces, where Dr. Cluff will enter a one-year fellowship in Emergency Medicine and Dr. Sumulong will begin work at La Clinica de la Familia in Anthony, New Mexico.

Dr. Cluff intends to return to Silver City after completing his fellowship in order to practice rural emergency medicine. He grew up in an Arizona town of just 800 people and appreciates the family medicine model that he experienced as a child. After a few years in emergency medicine, he hopes to establish his own family medicine practice in the Silver City area.

Dr. Sumulong has a history of medical mission service, both overseas and with the homeless in downtown Los Angeles, California. He has advocated for state funding of primary care physicians in areas that are underserved and spent time encouraging the medical interests of middle and high school students.

Family Medicine Residency Program Director Dr. Darrick Nelson noted the importance of bringing residents like Drs. Cluff and Sumulong to practice medicine in rural areas such as Silver City and Anthony. Statistics show that 56% of family medicine residents stay within 100 miles of their residency program, as these two doctors are doing. Having this residency program in Silver City will increase the pool of physicians available to rural southern New Mexico.

Dr. Nelson is himself from a small town in Arizona. He believes that giving medical residents a taste of the challenges of rural medicine is key to increasing physician presence in underserved rural areas. One challenge with small towns is the difficulty with bringing in new faces. Another is a physician's need to know something about all areas of medicine, since there are fewer local specialists available for referrals.

The HMS family medicine program was developed in partnership with Gila Regional Medical Center and the University of New Mexico. Residents spend one year in an urban setting, in Albuquerque, followed by two years in Silver City with HMS. HMS CEO Harriet Brandstetter noted that very few medical residencies are operated out of community health centers, and that this program is the only one in New Mexico.

Senator Howie Morales spoke to the graduates, families, and gathered community, emphasizing how rural economic development is enhanced by supporting the quality of life in these areas. He thanked Representative Rudy Martinez for his advocacy in obtaining funding for the family medicine residency program.

Representative Dianne Hamilton shared her experience of HMS's role in a recent healthcare awareness day and spoke of the critical importance of providing good primary healthcare.

Gila Regional Medical Center CEO Brian Cunningham emphasized the importance of partnerships such as this one, noting that the Affordable Care Act is increasing the need for such partnerships. He stated that the hospital is currently experiencing the most challenging environment in modern healthcare.

Cunningham also read a plaque which will be displayed at GRMC, listing all family medicine residency graduates. He shared how the commitment of Cluff and Sumulong has been energizing to the rest of the GRMC staff.

Center for Health Innovation Executive Director Charlie Alfero spoke about the history behind the development of the family medicine residency. In the mid-1990s he was involved in the creation of residencies in Las Cruces and Santa Fe, which provided the first residencies beyond Albuquerque. Silver City's program expands the reach of residencies beyond the Rio Grande corridor.

In addition to honoring graduates Cluff and Sumulong, HMS leadership also recognized two Faculty of the Year, Drs. Ronald Dalton and Jonathan Jones. These faculty had been recommended by Cluff and Sumulong. In addition to their certificates, all four men received specially designed southwestern style vases.