Arizona is facing a critical physician shortage in all areas of care. The largest area of need is in primary care, where an estimated 660 physicians are needed to meet the current demand, based on data from the Arizona Graduate Medical Education Policy Brief.
And, nearly 70% of communities designated as primary care health professional shortage areas are in rural regions, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
To combat this growing issue, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, in partnership with Banner Health, expanded its graduate medical education programs. The first new program to launch was the Family Medicine Residency – Payson, which welcomed its inaugural class of three residents this summer.
The residents – Ben Johnson, MD, Hui Jin Jo, DO, and Jolan Wu, DO – discovered their match March 15, along with medical students from across the country during their respective Match Day ceremonies.
Jo, who completed her medical training at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, expressed her excitement to have matched with the new program.
“I knew Payson would be a good fit for me because I was always interested in rural family medicine. And I really liked my interactions with the faculty during and after the interview process,” she said. “They were kind, supportive, and made me feel like I could be the best version of myself there.”
Wu echoed that sentiment.
“Upon meeting with the faculty, I was immediately drawn to the program’s supportive, warm culture, passionate educators, and abundant opportunities for well-rounded learning experiences in a small close-knit community, where the health care professionals really cared about their people,” she said. “The combination of excellent training, natural beauty, abundance of outdoor recreation and emphasis on community in Payson truly offered everything my family and I desired.”
Wu finished her medical training at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. She was also drawn to the community-centered nature of rural health practice because of changes in her own life.
“Not too long ago, I realized the true importance of family when I started one of my own, and this new perspective of motherhood reshaped my values, placing family health as a top personal and professional priority,” she explained. “Building the special trust formed in a physician-patient connection that champions something as paramount yet intimate as the health of our patients and communities fulfilled my spiritual and career needs, and it was the reason I chose family medicine.”
Judith Hunt, MD, regional site director for the College of Medicine – Phoenix, spoke to the impact these physicians will have on the health of Payson’s residents.
“The rural physician shortage is felt here and throughout our state. In the short term, the residency program is allowing Payson/Rim Country to ‘grow our own’ new medical colleagues,” she said. “These residents will be joining us in meeting the needs of our communities.”
Hunt, a U of A College of Medicine – Tucson alumna, has practiced in Payson since 1996. She is intimately aware of the positive effect physicians have on the local community and has long been a champion of rural health service. She, along with Sharry Veres, MD, chair of the Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine, and Cheryl O’Malley, MD, vice dean of graduate medical education, helped shepherd the program through its constructive stages.
“When this class graduates to practices of their own, they will be ready to provide excellent care here or wherever they choose. Our hope is that rural Arizona will always be home,” Hunt said.
Roberta Matern, program director for the residency, echoed that enthusiasm.
“Payson is over the moon that we have filled our new residency with three excellent young physicians, each committed to rural and full spectrum family medicine,” she said. “This is such an exciting time for Payson, rural medicine, the College of Medicine – Phoenix, family medicine and Arizona.”
The Family Medicine Residency – Payson program is a collaboration between Banner Health, the Town of Payson, the MHA foundation and the College of Medicine – Phoenix. It will serve as a valuable resource to attract physicians to Payson by providing essential resources, mentorship and advocacy. The hope is that by recruiting residents who have a passion for serving rural communities, the new doctors will be a great fit for the culture and career opportunities that Payson offers.
