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A NEW ERA IN
FAM I LY M ED I CI N E

Marian embarks on the future of family medicine as a teaching
hospital affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of USC

For generations, family medicine physicians have remained The anticipated physician shortage combined with the project-
the backbone of health care, caring for entire families from ed rise in insured patients and the aging American population
birth through adulthood. is generating an escalating national health care issue: patient
access to family medicine physicians.
The foundation of family medicine is rooted in the develop-
ment of long-term, personal relationships these devoted physi- THE SOLUTION
cians cultivate with community members, serving as their
patients’ lifetime guardians to coordinate all levels of care. In response to the growing national shortage of family medi-
Consequently, access to primary care is essential to deliver- cine physicians, Marian Regional Medical Center has insti-
ing the best health outcomes for a community since chronic tuted the Marian Family Medicine Residency Program to build
diseases cannot be prevented or managed without a strong a strong primary care infrastructure for Santa Maria and the
primary care infrastructure. Central Coast. In July of this year, Marian will welcome its first
class of physician residents, providing them with an inspiring,
THE CHALLENGE provocative and unencumbered real world learning environ-
ment that brings community medicine to a new, elevated level.
Recent research predicts an impending shortage of more than
45,000 family care physicians by 2020 and it is estimated that The Marian Family Medicine Residency Program is affiliated
approximately 2.6 million Americans will be newly insured as with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern
a result of Affordable Care Act legislation. California (USC) and is approved for six residents per year,

4 Richard McClaflin, M.D., Marian Family Medicine Residency Program Director, tours

prospective Marian Family Medicine Residency Program physician residents around
Marian Regional Medical Center.