FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018
Contact: Leah C. Payne, Director of Public Affairs, Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, 304-691-1713

New family medicine residency launched in region
Collaborative effort advances health care

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Marshall Community Health Consortium, a group of regional health care providers including Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and Marshall Health, has received accreditation of its first medical residency program.

The Holzer Osteopathic Family Medicine Residency Program received initial accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) as part of a move toward a single graduate medical education (GME) accreditation system that will integrate both allopathic and osteopathic programs.

Led by Christopher Marazon, D.O., program director, the existing family medicine program will expand its residency to 12 positions at its Gallipolis, Ohio, site starting July 1. 

Paulette S. Wehner, M.D., designated institutional official and vice dean for graduate medical education at Marshall’s school of medicine, said the new program is the result of a great team effort.

“We are all very excited about working with program director Dr. Christopher Marazon and administrator Susan Cummons to provide resident training opportunities in the Gallipolis community,” Wehner said.

Marazon said Holzer Health System is very pleased to be part of the effort to move graduate medical education forward in the southeastern part of Ohio.

“A high quality training program helps to recruit and retain energetic primary care physicians that are likely to practice within our region potentially for decades,” he said. “We appreciate the guidance of Dr. Wehner and her staff through the application and accreditation process. We also appreciate the support of School of Medicine Dean Joe Shapiro and the rest of the Marshall family.”

The Marshall Community Health Consortium was created to support primary care residency programs in small communities. The consortium is composed of Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall Health, Cabell Huntington Hospital and Valley Health Systems.  

As part of a move to a single GME accreditation system, all osteopathic residency programs must achieve initial ACGME accreditation by June 30, 2020.  Since it has received initial accreditation, the Holzer program may now proceed with an application to receive osteopathic recognition by the ACGME.

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Date Posted: Wednesday, February 21, 2018