Greetings,

As the Designated Institutional Official (DIO) for South Central Regional Medical Center, I am pleased to provide this executive summary of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Annual Institutional Review (AIR) for 2023-2024. This report is a requirement for maintaining certification with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), but it also offers a timely opportunity to reflect on our progress over the last academic year.

Our GME journey at this hospital started with a chance encounter with the new CEO, Gregg Gibbes, in the hallway of the medical ward at SCRMC. We talked for some time while we walked through the facility and shared a mutual passion for what the hospital is and what it could be. When we made it to the parking lot, Mr. Gibbes said he was going to start a residency program in Laurel and asked me if I was interested.  I told him that if we do this for the right reasons, we could grow something bigger and better than either of us could imagine. And with a handshake, we started down the path.

Over the last year, we have entered into a partnership with William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine to become a hub site for their 3rd year medical students. We inaugurated our first class of 10 students into our hospital and our community. They have proven to be at the top of their class academically and as servant leaders. With the help of our preceptors, these students have gained real-world experience and are on their way to becoming model physicians.

The Graduate Medical Education Committee had its first meeting on December 13, 2023 to start our journey towards residency and to help bolster our community and those around us.  Within a few short months, the GMEC was able to submit its application for our hospital to become a Sponsoring Institution for residency programs. We received our approval on September 5, 2024 and started work on our first program, Internal Medicine. The GMEC developed partners with area hospitals and physicians to ensure the best education for our future residents. Proudly, our first signature came from Dr. Thomas Dobbs, MD. The hospital has worked with the state and applied for HRSA funding to support our growth. The GMEC submitted our application for Internal Medicine and had our first site visit on November 1, 2024. The final decision will come February 2025 to see if we can start accepting residents.

It has been a very busy year and we continue to strive for excellence in education. I am grateful to the many dedicated educators and leaders who have supported us in this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Deepu Thoppil, MD

Designated Institutional Official