Memorial Hospital received good news Monday finalizing its new Graduate Medical Education program. To the left of the main entrance of the hospital sits a building that is now designated to the GME program.

“GME happens after physicians graduate from medical school,” said Gretchen Holmes with Memorial Hospital. “Once they graduate, they’re required to attend a residency program in order to sit for their boards.”

Holmes in charge of the program and said Memorial is the first public hospital to offer a residency program.

“Any time you bring graduate medical to a hospital, to a community, there are incredible positive outcomes,” she said.

Holmes said the physicians use this program to work closely with the most vulnerable populations and that this program will add physicians to local clinics. During the three years of the program, the practicing physicians are closely monitored, but they grow to become independent.

“At the beginning of the program, usually, they’ll go in to talk with the patient then return to communicate information back to the attending doctor,” Holmes said. They then both return to the patient and discuss the care or what the next steps will be following the doctor visit.

Most GME programs are hosted out of colleges or universities. Holmes said she is proud to be a part of this new opportunity in South Mississippi. Right now, construction is underway to have everything ready for the July 1 start date.

“You do GME because you want to hire more physicians to the area, and we know that Mississippi has a physician shortage,” Holmes said. “So this has allowed us to address that issue by bringing those who may have contact here in the area, so once they finish training possibly they want to stick around as they become involved in our communities.”