This article was originally published on the Bear Valley Community Healthcare District website.

In a first-of-its kind program at Bear Valley Community Healthcare District (BVCHD), residents from the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine will have the opportunity to fulfill their emergency medicine residency rotation requirement at BVCHD.

The new partnership, now underway, will bring some of the country’s top medical residents to Big Bear Valley. The UCR School of Medicine is one of the most competitive medical schools in the country with an acceptance rate of just 1.38%. Of those, 60% grew up in medically underserved regions, such as rural California, ensuring they bring empathy to their practice.

“This collaborative effort is another example of how we continually work to improve patient care and the patient experience,” said Evan Rayner, chief executive officer of BVCHD. “It allows the UCR family medicine residents to gain rural healthcare experience in an emergency setting while allowing our patients to receive care from the top medical residents in the nation. Academic affiliations, such as the new UCR partnership, enrich all participating organizations by raising the bar for quality education and advancement in healthcare.” 

The new residency program is expected to help alleviate the doctor shortage currently plaguing rural California communities. According to the nonprofit County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, there are 1,700 people per primary care physician (PCP) in San Bernardino County. By contrast, Orange County sees just 995 people per PCP. This year’s inaugural class will rotate eight UCR family medicine residents through BVCHD. First- and third-year residents will both have the opportunity to rotate in Big Bear Valley in year three.

“We are incredibly thankful to Mr. Rayner and the entire team at BVCHD for their partnership and trust,” said Rajesh Gulati, MD, senior associate dean of graduate medical education at the UC Riverside School of Medicine.  “This project’s success wouldn’t have been possible without them. Our family medicine residents will get an excellent training environment in the Bear Valley community.” 

Deborah Deas, MD, MPH, vice chancellor for health sciences and the Mark and Pam Rubin dean of the UC Riverside School of Medicine, said the partnership with BVCHD well reflects the medical school’s mission and commitment to the health of the community.

“We are excited about what our future collaborations will bring,” she said. Under Deas' leadership, the medical school has increasingly recruited students from the Inland Empire, expanded enrollment, and developed local residency training programs to increase the likelihood that graduates stay and practice in the region.