The annual Community Health Center Of Branch County medical education graduation reception recently honored several CHC staff members with teaching awards for the year, in addition to recognizing the achievements of the residents.  The evening reception, held at the CHC Community Care And Conference Center, named Dr. Mark Kallus, Physican Of The Year; Chad Parker, Nurse Of The Year; Dr. Chad Tyler, Resident Of The Year; And Kim Palchak, Ancillary Support Person Of The Year.

 The Resident of the Year is chosen by the entire employee staff and physicians at CHC as the resident who is top in his or her class and is willing to go the extra mile for patients.  The remaining awards are chosen by the residents as people who stood out through the year.

 Chad Tyler, D.O. and Gary Ward, D.O. are graduating from their residency program this year.  At the reception,Dr. Lauren Vogel, Director of CHC Medical Education, presented a graduation program to Dr. Tyler and Dr. Ward.  The 2011/2012 resident will include current residents Timothy Miller, D.O.; Molly Parker, D.O., and Chris Johnson, D.O.; and incoming residents Jon Robertson, D.O.; Nilesh Nangrani, D.O.; and Juan Velazquez, D.O.       

 The Community Health Center of Branch County’s Medical Education program is approved for nine residents.  The hospital offers osteopathic residency training in family practice.  Rotations include teaching in general medicine, general surgery, emergency medicine, family practice, pediatrics, and obstetrics.

 The family practice residency is three years long and includes the Family Practice emphasis internship year. CHC follows the ACOFP model which integrates five months of pediatrics, four months of obstetrics, eight months of internal medicine, six months of surgery and emergency medicine, four months of family practice and five months of electives. Residents attend assigned patients in the Family Medicine Clinicfour half days weekly. 

Daily lectures are held and include journal club, FP text review, ECG instruction, colposcopy, behavioral medicine, and tumor board in addition to specialty lectures in obstetrics, medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and family practice. Family practice-emphasis interns attend the MSUCOM full day educational symposium monthly.

 The Community Health Center of Branch County is a non-profit acute care hospital providing access to safe, comprehensive, high quality healthcare services and accredited by The Joint Commission. For more information on the Hospice Duck Race or Hospice Services, please call the CHC Marketing Department at 517-279-5282, visit the CHC website at www.chcbc.com or myhealth.com.