Rockford to add residency programs

The College of Medicine at Rockford plans to add five new residency programs to its existing residency in family medicine.

“It’s my belief we need to recruit and retain physicians, improve the quality of care and provide a financial boon to the Rockford area,” said regional dean Alex Stagnaro-Green.

The campus wants to add residencies in emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, general surgery, internal medicine and psychiatry.

The residencies would be developed by a consortium that could include Swedish American Health System, OSF St. Anthony Medical Center, Mercy Rockford Health System, Crusader Clinic and Rosecrance Treatment Centers, Stagnaro-Green said.

The new residencies could graduate 100 residents a year and attract $30 million in federal funding to Rockford, he said, adding that it would cost $2 million to launch the new residencies.

Organizers hope to raise $100,000 for the residency programs and students at an Oct. 2 fundraiser, the Boardwalk Casino Bash. For information, visit rockford.medicine.uic.edu

New residencies was the subject of a survey of 350 Rockford-area physicians conducted by the Rockford medical site.

“Two-thirds of them gave a very strong sense that residency programs would be positive, and they were interested in becoming involved in educating,” Stagnaro-Green said.