Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital introduces five new resident physicians each year to the Southwest Georgia Family Medicine Residency Program at an annual welcoming ceremony, scheduled for today at 2 p.m. in the Wetherbee Lobby of the hospital’s main campus. 

Each year, the ceremony features a notable guest speaker to welcome the incoming class to the prestigious program. The keynote speaker for this year’s ceremony is Chris Clark of Atlanta, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Clark is consistently named one of Georgia Trend magazine’s 100 Most Influential Georgians and as one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

During the ceremony the residents will be introduced to the community, presented with the traditional white lab coat and pager, and welcomed with gifts from local businesses by Albany’s Chamber of Commerce.

The ACGME-accredited graduate medical educational program was developed in 1993 as a direct response to physician shortages in the region, with the primary mission to train family physicians to practice throughout Southwest Georgia. The program offers physicians the opportunity to develop as strong clinicians capable of delivering high-quality primary care in any setting by blending the primary care orientation of a community hospital with the academic and educational resources of a world-class medical facility.  

“The Southwest Georgia Family Residency Program has proven successful since its start in 1993,” said Joel Wernick, President and CEO, Phoebe Putney Health System. “In the program’s tenure, seventy percent of the residency graduates are currently practicing in Georgia, with the majority of those practicing in southwest Georgia. It has proven to be a tremendous asset to our region and to our state.”

The Class of 2018 includes Antwuan Allen, MD; Gary Clay, MD; Shayla Curtis, MD; Kristen Krakovec, MD; and Daniel Smith, MD. The residents train with Southwest Georgia Family Medicine for three years to become eligible for board certification in family medicine. While in the residency program, all resident physicians will work in multiple clinical areas at the hospital and around Albany.