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Published on June 24, 2020

Owensboro Health's inaugural class of medical residents arrive this week

Today marks a milestone. For the first time in Owensboro Health history, a group of medical residents will study, train and care for patients at our facilities.

Seven family medicine residents will arrive for orientation on June 24 ahead of their July 1 start date. The headquarters for their training is on the first floor of the Owensboro Health Parrish Medical Building.

The residency program is new to OH and was created in partnership with the University of Louisville School of Medicine. It offers residents the opportunity to grow as medical professionals with guidance from Owensboro Health’s experienced medical experts.

The presence of these seven individuals is important not only to Owensboro Health but to the community-at-large. OH's service area currently faces a shortage of primary care physicians, and welcoming these resident positions to OH better serves our communities by potentially shoring up that shortage. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, 39 percent of medical residents remain within 25 miles of their program when they set up their practices.

Wednesday will serve as a culmination of hard work by leaders across the organization. The residency program was announced September 2018 and received its official accreditation in May 2019. Residents matched with OH on March 20 of this year.

“The vision for this program is to bring outstanding physicians to this region and give them the right foundation to start their healthcare careers,” said Greg Strahan, President and CEO of Owensboro Health. “This achievement demonstrates that we are in excellent position to deliver on that vision and improve healthcare in Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana.”

The seven residents are:

Jerry Bradley, MD

Jerry Bradley

Education: University of Alabama School of Medicine

Experience: Naval Health Clinic Lemoore, Family Medicine Clinic

Hamed Haghnazar, MD

Hamed Haghnazar

Education: University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Hayat Itani, MD

HayatEducation: Faculté de Médecine de Monastir Tunisia

Experience: American University of Beirut, Pediatric Residency

Matthew Kolok, MD

Matthew Kolok

Education: Univ. of South Carolina School of Medicine

Experience: US Air Force flight doctor, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

Suheung Lee, MD

Suheung Lee

Education: Texas Tech University School of Medicine, Odessa

Daniel Meis, DO

Daniel Meis

Education: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn

Augusta Rawlins-Rader, MD

Augusta

Education: University of Toledo College of Medicine

The University of Lousville faculty leading the residency are:

  • Jon C. Sivoravong, DO – FAAFP, Family Medicine, residency director and associate professor with the University of Louisville School of Medicine
  • Darby Cole, MD – Family Medicine
  • Stephanie Hayden, MD – Pediatrics
  • Gary Wahl, MD - Family Medicine
  • Shirl Nafziger-Lyne, MSW, LCSW – Behavioral Health
  • Michelle Hayden – Medical Education Coordinator

Medical Education Coordinator Michelle Hayden, alluded to the excitement surrounding the arrival of the residents and what they symbolize for the organization's future.

“With this being our first class of residents there will be a great deal of focus on their success,” Hayden said. “This incoming class will be a strong, diverse team and we can’t wait to get this academic year started.”

About Owensboro Health

Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.

On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.