HCMC trains the doctors Minnesota depends on

To the editor:

Recent conversations about HCMC’s future have focused on its role as a safety net hospital and its Level I trauma and specialty care services. No question, these functions are critical. But there’s another role that deserves equal attention: training the primary care physicians Minnesotans rely on every day.

No single site in Minnesota trains more family physicians than HCMC. These doctors go on to care for patients across the state, including in rural and underserved communities where access is already limited and many physicians are nearing retirement.

As a graduate of the HCMC Family Medicine residency training program, I have seen firsthand the impact of this program. I received excellent training at this Medical Center affiliated with the University of Minnesota Medical School. After completing my residency training, I settled in rural Southwestern Minnesota. I can confidently say that the superb training I received as a Primary Care physician at HCMC prepared me well for this rural setting. I was able to deliver obstetrics care for residents of Worthington and Primary Care to residents of Fairmont until the spring of 2020, when I retired. I urge Minnesota lawmakers not to champion this beacon of hope for the underserved/rural communities in our state.

Family physicians are often the first point of contact — helping patients stay healthy, managing chronic conditions and guiding them through an increasingly complex health care system. Strong primary care is the foundation of a healthy Minnesota and begins with investing in HCMC and its workforce development programs.

Sundara C Nalla, MD

Fairmont