February 17, 2025 – In an effort to address the ongoing physician shortage in the Central Valley, Saint Agnes Medical Center has strengthened its partnership with California Health Sciences University (CHSU) to enhance medical student training opportunities. This collaboration aims to provide core clinical rotations for CHSU’s third-year medical students, as well as elective clinical rotations for fourth-year students in various sub-specialties.
Through a newly signed multi-year agreement, CHSU medical students will gain hands-on experience within the Saint Agnes Graduate Medical Education (GME) Residency Program, learning alongside resident physicians and faculty in specialties such as Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Transitional Year programs. The partnership also extends to Saint Agnes’ Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, ensuring students have access to a broad range of medical disciplines.
Dr. Mehdi Hakimipour, Designated Institutional Official and Chair of Saint Agnes Graduate Medical Education, emphasized the significance of the agreement. “Saint Agnes and CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine have established a strategic partnership to advance medical education by offering high-quality medical student rotations within our resident teaching services,” he said. “This collaboration aims to strengthen local ties, enhance undergraduate medical education, and promote physician retention in our community.”
The need for more physicians in the Valley has been a growing concern as the region’s population increases. The hope is that providing medical students with robust training opportunities within the area will encourage them to stay for their residency programs and eventually establish their practice in the Central Valley.
“This partnership further strengthens our commitment to academic medical excellence and showcases how Saint Agnes is leading the Valley in delivering hands-on, evidence-based clinical practice to prepare the next generation of physicians and clinicians within our own community,” said Dr. John Evanko, Saint Agnes Chief Medical Officer.
California Health Sciences University, located in Clovis, is a fully accredited, private university dedicated to improving access to quality healthcare. Since its establishment in 2012, CHSU has been committed to preparing highly trained and compassionate healthcare professionals. The university currently houses the College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Biosciences and Health Professions, and the state-of-the-art Simulation Center, which provides hands-on training in a controlled environment.
“Saint Agnes is a long-time partner of CHSU, and we have a shared vision to provide excellent medical education to increase recruitment and retention of physicians with a heart to serve our Central Valley patients,” said Florence T. Dunn, President of CHSU.
Medical students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of clinical and educational experiences at Saint Agnes, including morning reports, board meetings, lectures, didactic sessions, group rounding, and clinical research. The partnership also grants Saint Agnes physicians access to CHSU’s campus resources, including the Simulation Center, Faculty Development Programming, and Health Sciences Library.
John Graneto, DO, Dean of CHSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, expressed excitement over the partnership. “We are excited that our CHSU medical students can now receive core clinical education at Saint Agnes Medical Center, one of the largest residency programs in our region, and only six miles from our campus,” he said.
Saint Agnes’ Director of Graduate Medical Education, Kari Finfrock, emphasized the long-term impact of the partnership. “As we look to the future, we are adhering to our ultimate goal of providing excellent patient care through physician retention and strengthening undergraduate medical education,” she said.
With this expanded partnership, Saint Agnes and CHSU are not only strengthening medical education in the Central Valley but also paving the way for a future where more highly trained physicians choose to stay and serve the local community. For more information about Saint Agnes’ GME program, visit www.samc.com/gme. To learn more about California Health Sciences University, visit chsu.edu.