Education is one of the Lugar Center's three core principals as it creates the opportunity for creative growth and the foundation for newer, better solutions.
We pay tribute to our founder, Dr. James Buechler, for among many things including founding the Lugar Center for Rural Health and creating the rural physician pipeline in the Wabash Valley.
Dr. James Buechler
Rural Healthcare = Rural Jobs
The Economic impact of a Rural Physician cannot be overstated. Healthcare and Educational institutions in the Wabash Valley have made a conscious effort to increase the number of physicians in rural practice. Here is the model
"The Union Hospital Family Medicine Residency opened in 1976. Since that time, the program has been considered one of the elite Family Medicine programs in the Midwest. Being both community-based and a single-sponsored residency training program has been instrumental in the program's development. Our residents meet with other Family Medicine residents from around the country at various meetings. Upon comparing each other's experiences, our residents have had tremendous opportunities, particularly in hospital and procedural medicine.
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Rather than being a residency program that talks about an individualized 3-year training experience, we actually do it. Beginning in their first year, residents routinely meet with their faculty advisor to assist in tailoring a 3-year experience to meet each individual's needs. Our program has developed nine major elective tracks. These opportunities include a rural experience, hospitalist medicine, emergency medicine, advanced OB including operative OB, academic medicine, sports medicine, geriatric medicine, and outpatient medicine."
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For more about the Residency's history click here
