Mayo Clinic assumes control of Mankato's family medicine residency program

Jul. 9—A residency program that brings doctors in training to Mankato and the surrounding region transitioned from University of Minnesota to Mayo Clinic sponsorship this month.

The university had sponsored a family medicine residency in the area since 1990, starting in Waseca before shifting over to the current, Eastridge clinic location in 2005.

Residents are medical school graduates who seek specialized education under the supervision of staff doctors. Residencies at Eastridge last three years.

Now known as the Mayo Clinic Family Medicine Residency, the program will be under Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science sponsorship going forward. The move was in the works for years, including U of M faculty being hired as Mayo Clinic employees in July 2020.

Four of the five residents in the 2023 class, which will be the first to graduate post-transition, plan to work as physicians in Mayo Clinic Health System's southwest Minnesota region. Knowing how much energy and costs go into recruiting physicians, said program director Dr. John McCabe, retaining residents in the Mankato region is a big component of the program.

"These residents come in already familiar with patients in the system," he said. "It's a big deal, so we're very happy it's successful."

The transition period from U of M to Mayo Clinic included time for physicians entering the program under the university's sponsorship to graduate. The 2023 class entered the program knowing they'd graduate as residents from Mayo Clinic.

"That seemed the fairest way to do it," McCabe said. "The U of M and Mayo had always worked together over the 20-plus years of doing things."

The 2023 class features co-chief residents Dr. Mickey McDonough and Dr. Sara Robinson, both in their third years at Eastridge. Robinson will work in outpatient medicine at the health system's Eastridge or Northridge clinics after graduation, while McDonough is set to work at Mayo in Fairmont.

While it's been a busy few months making the final transition, two years of planning helped smooth the process. Apart from losing some extra courses through the U of M, McDonough said residents haven't been impacted by all the transition work behind the scenes, which she added was a testament to faculty who work to maximize the resident experience.

"The faculty find your passions and you can thrive with them," she said.

Working with children is one of McDonough's passions. She said Dr. Erin Westfall, a past resident who went on to be a community outreach faculty in the program, found out residents had that passion and created a partnership with the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota.

"We're going and playing with kids and learning about exercise and how to work through that community partnership, which allows me to carry that into to my future practice as well," she said.

The program is fantastic at tailoring the curriculum to what residents want out of their education, Robinson said. She named the work at the museum, the community garden at Eastridge, and community collaborations with Open Door Health Center and the free clinic in St. Peter as examples.

Past residents established the garden at Eastridge in recognition of how access to healthy food is a social determinant of health. It's right there waiting after patients at Eastridge receive screenings identifying they're experiencing food insecurity.

Residents follow up on it during their patient visits. They can write food prescriptions if needed, sending the patient to the garden to pick tomatoes, spinach, peppers and more from the patch.

Each crop has a code to scan for recipe ideas incorporating the fruit, veggie or herb. A team of residents, staff, patients and volunteers all share responsibilities in tending the garden.

The garden also ties into a health equity pilot program at Eastridge. As part of it, a coordinator works with patients who screen positive for lacking in a social determinant of health to help them identify resources to address the issue.

All of it, including the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, serve as education for the residents. There are currently 15 residents in the Mankato program, stated Dr. James Hebl, Mayo Clinic Health System's southwest Minnesota region vice president, in a release announcing the official transition.

He thanked the U of M for the strong partnership over the last 20 years and noted the transition allows for new education opportunities for the health system.

"We are excited to officially launch the program and further our education mission within the region," he stated. "The transition of the family medicine residency program advances our mission of transforming into a three-shield organization that focuses on clinical care, research and education."

Robinson and McDonough described it as exciting to break new ground as the first graduating class in Mayo Clinic's program.

"We've really benefited under the leadership of the U, and I know that we will benefit under the leadership of Mayo," Robinson said. "I've just been very blessed and lucky to be here."

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