Oregon Residency Collaborative Alliance for Family Medicine (ORCA-FM)

For more information, please visit the ORCA-FM website at oregonfmresidency.org.

Mission

ORCA-FM will enhance the ability of Family Medicine residencies in Oregon to improve the health of our communities through training comprehensive high-quality family physicians and fostering leadership and innovation in primary care.

About

The OAFP is facilitating the creation of a residency director’s network to support the continued excellence and development of family medicine residencies. Our efforts began in 2017, when OAFP received a planning grant from the Oregon Graduate Medical Education Consortium (OGMEC) to help develop a Family Medicine Residency Directors’ network. Additional funding from OGMEC was awarded in fall 2019. During the 2023 Oregon legislative session, Senate Bill 490 passed to secure two years of funding for ORCA-FM.

Residency Program directors have identified key needs that ORCA-FM will address:

  • Faculty development and cultivation
  • Peer-to-peer networking at regular meetings and between (possibly supported by an online collaboration platform)
  • Opportunities to collaborate with other residencies for common programming (e.g., ALSO courses)
  • Opportunities to offer peer and mentor support among programs for learners
  • Research support through access to information libraries and/or pooled access to statisticians/etc. to support research efforts for residents and faculty

While the effort is launching as a program of OAFP, ultimately overseen by the OAFP Board, the venture may eventually expand or launch as a separate entity. During the startup phase, the neutrality and authority of the OAFP was recognized as an important asset to help leverage institutional support and potentially financial support from other funders.

Advisor:
Roger D. Garvin, MD, FAAFP, Education Vice Chair & Director – GME Expansion and Integration, OHSU Department of Family Medicine (Portland)
Chair:
Justin E. Osborn, MD, FAAFP, Program Director – Providence Oregon Family Medicine Residency (Milwaukie)
Vice Chair:
(Kay) Mary K. Nordling, MD, FAAFP, Program Director – OHSU Health Hillsboro Medical Center Family Medicine Residency (Hillsboro)
Education Chair:
(Bob) Robert W. Gobbo, MD, FAAFP, Program Director – Providence Hood River Rural Residency (Hood River)

Treasurer:
Whitney Roper, MD, Associate Residency Director – OHSU Portland Family Medicine Residency (Portland)
Secretary:
Heather J. Stearman, MD, Interim Program Director – Roseburg Family Medicine Residency (Roseburg)
Members:
Bharat Gopal, MD, MPH, Interim Program Director – Samaritan Family Medicine Residency (Corvallis)
Jinnell Lewis, MD, Program Director – OHSU Three Sisters Rural Track Program (Madras)

Eva S. McCarthy, DO, Interim Program Director – Samaritan Family Medicine Rural Track (Newport)
Radu C. Moisa, MD, Program Director – OHSU Cascades East Family Medicine Residency (Klamath Falls)
Joe M. Skariah, DO, MBA, MPHProgram Director – OHSU Portland Family Medicine Residency (Portland)

Staff:
Jackie Wirz, PhD, Executive Director, ORCA-FM (Portland)
Betsy Boyd-Flynn, Executive Director – Oregon Academy of Family Physicians (Portland)
Louise Merrigan, Program Director – Oregon Academy of Family Physicians (Portland)

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Virtual Family Medicine Residency Week 2024

Poster Session at Annual Conference

Oregon Policy Scholars - Previous Cohorts

Previous Virtual Family Medicine Residency Weeks

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