Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

WASHINGTON, DC – Efforts to reestablish federal funding for family residency training in Stanislaus County have received a significant push forward and appear to be on the right track, announced Congressmen Dennis Cardoza and George Radanovich.

The funding for the current residency training program was suddenly stopped last year when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) determined the program was not in compliance with certain federal standards.

Since then, Stanislaus County staff has been working to design a new residency program that would qualify for federal assistance. A consortium model was developed incorporating Doctors Medical Center, Memorial Hospitals Association, Stanislaus County and the county’s federally qualified health centers.  CMS has now released a final rule clarification on hospital payments and their standards for the creation of new graduate medical education programs. Under the final rule, it is expected that the newly designed Valley Consortium for Medical Education will be eligible for federal funding beginning in July 2010. In order to receive the federal assistance, the new program still must receive required accreditation.

Since last year, Congressmen Cardoza and Radanovich have worked with CMS and have contacted Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to stress the importance of the residency program.

“I am very pleased with the new rules from CMS,” said Congressman Cardoza. “I believe this will allow Doctors Medical Center to continue its outstanding job of training residents and preparing them to help the Valley meet our physician shortage. We will know more in the coming weeks as we speak to CMS and we learn more of the specifics of the rule change.”

“As access to medical care continues to be a severe problem in the San Joaquin Valley, the residency program at Doctors Medical Center facilitates the ability of some of the Valley’s most needy to have access to proper care,” said Congressman Radanovich.  “I am pleased with the progress we have made with the new rules from CMS, which appear to allow Doctors Medical Center to continue training residents to serve our region.  I look forward to continuing to work with all the interested parties towards official determination of renewed federal support for the program.”

Since 1975, the residency program has trained 240 doctors.