Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program
When a child is ill or injured, only the best pediatric medical care will do. As the region’s pediatric thought leader, Valley Children’s has remained committed for decades to ensuring high-quality pediatric medical education and resident training for healthcare professionals throughout Central California. To maintain this standard of excellence, we continuously look for ways to expand our training opportunities and use the latest technology to improve clinical outcomes and promote best practices.
However, a nationwide shortage of pediatric physicians is making timely access to the best medical care an immediate challenge. The lack of pediatricians especially affects the Valley, well-recognized as underserved and economically poor. Statistics indicate the Valley has only 48 primary care physicians per 100,000 people – far below the recommended 60 to 80 primary care physicians.
As a result, many families turn to emergency departments as an alternative. Valley Children’s pediatric ED is the busiest in California for children under age 21. In fiscal year 2016, our ED saw more than 120,000 visits. About half of these visits did not warrant specialized emergency care and could have been addressed in local pediatricians’ offices.
Training the next generation
To achieve our vision to provide the nation’s best healthcare for kids, Valley Children’s is facing the physician shortage head-on. Valley Children’s recently took the lead in training the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists by creating our own accredited, three-year residency program.
Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program, Affiliated with Stanford University School of Medicine provides an in-depth education focused on general and advanced clinical pediatric training in a hands-on environment, quality and patient safety, interprofessional education and community partnerships. The residents rotate through our main teaching hospital – the 330-bed, state-of-the-art Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera – and Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. They work closely with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrators and other healthcare professionals, including our partners in local hospitals and medical groups.
Traditionally, residents train in silos. Today’s way of thinking is we work in teams, we should train in teams. Doctors tend to practice where they learn. Valley Children’s pediatric medical education program prepares healthcare professionals for an exciting career in medicine, and demonstrates the advantages of practicing in the Valley.
Enhancing medical skills
Continuing medical education is crucial to all healthcare providers’ ability to improve patient care and keep current with the ever-changing landscape of the medical industry. Valley Children’s continues to expand these pediatric opportunities for doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and more throughout Central California ranging from clinical symposiums, lecture series, grand rounds and didactic teaching, to outreach education including health fairs, in-house trainings, conferences, webinars and more.
Our high-tech, clinical simulation program is also integral to providing excellent pediatric care. This vital teaching technique using interactive role play and computerized mannequins allows learners to practice and hone clinical skills and critical thinking with the same complexities and distractions present in the clinical setting without putting actual patients at risk.
The Need for Philanthropic Support
Increased funding will enable us to enhance our medical education and resident training, from expanding our staff and provider education, grand rounds and interprofessional medical education workshops, to improving our clinical simulation program, for years to come.
How You Can Help
Your philanthropic support to advance our Pediatric Medical Education Program will enable us to attract, train and retain skilled pediatricians and pediatric specialists to provide the best, high-quality medical care that all Central California children and their families deserve for today and many tomorrows.
Click here to invest today in the lives of ill and injured kids in the Central Valley.