Welcome to the Ghent Family Medicine (GFM) Residency Program at Eastern Virginia Medical School.  The GFM residency program was established in 1975, has been continuously accredited since that time, and meets all the training requirements of the American Board of Family Medicine.  We welcome your interest in our program, that is dedicated to providing an optimal learning environment for you to reach your highest potential as a family physician.

Our Family Medicine Center is a 9918 square foot state-of-the-art facility, located on the campus of the Eastern Virginia medical school, that opened in 2008.  Our practice  has a mature electronic health record and secure patient portal.  It is in close proximity to multiple training sites:  our 'flagship' hospital Sentara Norfolk General Hospital (SNG) where the Ghent in-patient service is conducted; Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (CHKD); and community based sites including the Norfolk and Portsmouth Health Departments, and Maryview Medical Center.

The GFM residency program, one of three residencies in the Department of Family and Community Medicine (DFCM), is fully engaged with its sister program at Portsmouth Family Medicine in practice transformation using the Patient-centered Medical Home (PCMH) model, under the leadership of Dr Robert Ringler (PCMH implementation chief) and Dr Richard Bikowski and his team (EHR and Quality Program of Health Services, the clinical practice at EVMS). In addition to integration of the electronic health record throughout our patient services (e.g., point-of-care electronic resources, disease registries, e-prescribing, patient portal allowing secure asynchronous communication with patients), we have integrated the elements of advanced access scheduling, regular quality reports to providers; guidelines for three chronic diseases (DM, HTN, CHF) embedded in our chronic care note templates; and emphasis on patient self-management support. We offer  group visits in the areas of prenatal care (Centering Pregnancy) and weight management, and team approaches in areas such as geriatric consultation, meds reconciliations, diabetic educator and care management. Our goal for all residents is that through active participation in this process of practice transformation, including resident quality improvement projects (see below), each will be capable of developing and achieving accreditation for the PCMH in their own practice; and to be prepared for the changes in reimbursement models for primary care that are advancing over the horizon.

The 'parallel process' that is transforming our residency education includes emphasis on the 'activated (resident) learner' and comprehensive feedback both on reaching educational objectives and on patient outcomes of care. If the essence of the Patient-Centered Medical Home is that we accept responsibility (with the patient) for improving health outcomes, then continually asking questions about what we do and how the outcomes can be improved is part of our responsibility as physicians.  Each of our residents select a (some residents have chosen several) clinical question they want to understand better and seek answers concerning the question. They are supported by one or more faculty mentors and our research director, Dr Agatha Parks-Savage, who walk the resident through the process of project development, IRB application, implementation, analysis and presentation.  The projects are all presented at our annual Family Medicine Research Day, as well as at regional or national meetings, and submitted for publication as appropriate, resulting in greater understanding of the scholarship and leadership potentials in family medicine.

At GFM, we offer the entire 'basket of services' in family medicine, with care for patients of all ages, from newborn to seniors.  We offer family-oriented maternity care, including preconceptual visits; Centering Pregnancy groups as well as traditional and continuity Ob care at the Portsmouth health department and our family medicine center; and delivery at both Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Maryview Medical Center. Our geriatric division staffs Westminster Canterbury and Chesapeake Place, which are multilevel seniors' care facilities, where residents have the experience of continuity care with community- and facility-dwelling seniors; and conducts a multidisciplinary comprehensive geriatric assessment clinic at the GFM practice. Our Geriatric division director, Dr Daniel Bluestein, is nationally known for his work in team care including integrating behavioral services to improve outcomes. The department's behavioral division includes three doctoral-level individuals of complementary backgrounds who are available for on-the-spot consultations for patients presenting with challenging psychosocial and emotional problems, for ongoing care of patients whose mental health diagnoses affect the management of  medical conditions, and in presenting our behavioral medicine curriculum.  Their behavioral teaching and assessments are supplemented by the internationally renowned Theresa Thomas Professional Skills Teaching and Assessment Center, providing standardized patients for teaching, assessment and immediate feedback to residents in the areas of managing challenging doctor/patient interactions, fine-tuning interpersonal skills, and accommodating the electronic health record (computer) in the patient- and relationship-based interview.  Multiple faculty have areas of special focus within family medicine, so that residents are able to rotate through half-day sessions performing procedures clinics such as minor surgery (including vasectomies, gynecologic procedures clinics including colposcopy, and treadmill stress testing.

Resident physicians have multiple community-based service learning opportunities in Commmunity and Global Health, including the Ambulatory Care Center sponsored by the Sentara system for indigent patients discharged from SNGH; performing pre-participation sports physicals for area high school students; staffing a student-run free clinic; serving migrant laborers on Virginia's Eastern Shore; and the Community Services Board where a primary care office is being developed. The community-service activities are supported by a curriculum in health care disparities, care-effectiveness for the underserved, and principles of service-learning. Residents may elect to pursue a 10-hour certificate in public health leadership in conjunction with EVMS' graduate program in public health, including a practicum (research) project either with a local health department physician or at an international site (e.g, Peru or Democratic Republic of Congo). They may also elect to pursue elective experiences in rural medicine or urban underserved populations.

Our Mission - Ghent Family Medicine is a comprehensive primary care center that exists to provide exceptional personalized patient care and broad-based medical education. We strive to foster the development of competent, compassionate family physicians and other health care professionals through lifelong personal and professional growth. Our guiding principles include continuity, accessibility and collaboration. Diversity is our strength.