(L-R) Christiana Anyanwu, DO; Tsvetelina Stoyanova, MD; David Dukes, DO; Florida Twentor, MD; Jordan Bradwell, DO; Jose Stervil Desinor, MD; and Danielle Pham, MD.  

Seven new physician residents are now members of the Phoebe Family.  Phoebe and community leaders welcomed the Phoebe Family Medicine Residency (PFMR) Class of 2026 to southwest Georgia at an annual ceremony on the health system’s main campus Wednesday morning.  Over the next three years, they will train under a dedicated team of faculty members, complete various specialty rotations and care for patients in Phoebe hospitals and at Phoebe Primary Care at Northwest.

“We are proud that Phoebe has become an innovative leader in healthcare workforce development – not just in Georgia, but for the entire country,” said Scott Steiner, Phoebe Putney Health System President & CEO.  “Our Living & Learning Community that is currently under construction is a great example.  It is a current cornerstone of our work to try to alleviate the nursing shortage and ensure we have enough quality, well-trained professionals to meet the healthcare needs of our communities for years to come, but that commitment really took hold 30 years ago when Phoebe began its residency program,” Steiner added.

The members of the PFMR Class of 2026 are:

• Christiana Anyanwu, DO – New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Jordan Bradwell, DO – Lincoln Memorial University Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Jose Stervil Desinor, MD – Ross University School of Medicine

• David Dukes, DO – Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine

• Danielle Pham, MD – University of Nebraska College of Medicine

• Tsvetelina Stoyanova, MD – Medical University of Sofia

• Florida Twentor, MD – American University of Antigua College of Medicine

Outgoing PFMR Program Director Dr. Bill Fricks and incoming Program Director Dr. Clifford Dunn – both of whom are PFMR graduates – presented the residents with their traditional white coats.  “We are fortunate to have a very diverse group of individuals in this class.  We are excited to welcome them, and I know they will contribute immensely to the Phoebe Family Medicine Residency,” Dr. Dunn said.

Dr. Frances Ferguson, a primary care physician at Albany Area Primary Health Care who previously worked at the National Institutes of Health, gave the keynote address.  She told the residents they were uniquely molded throughout their lives and were chosen by God to serve as family medicine physicians.

“Physicians in general possess a dedication and compassion for their fellow man that is unmatched by most other professions, but primary doctors are a cut above.  You were chosen to practice family medicine because you have been blessed with the compassion, the empathy, the endurance and the sheer courage that it takes to provide care for the whole family and the whole being,” Dr. Ferguson said.

The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce presented the residents with welcome wagons filled with goodies donated by businesses and attractions throughout the area.  The new physicians said they appreciated that gesture and found the welcome ceremony meaningful.

“I’ve always wanted to be a physician for as long as I can remember, and this is the manifestation of it all coming to fruition, so it was just one of the best days of my entire life,” said new resident Dr. David Dukes.  “Everyone is so friendly.  I feel right at home.  I’m looking forward to being part of the community and learning a lot,” he added.

On Saturday, the PFMR Class of 2023 will graduate, bringing the total number of graduates in the history of the program to 162.  Half of the eight graduates will stay in Georgia to begin their practice of medicine.  The graduates and their new work destinations are:

• Krystal Archer, MD – OB Fellowship, Salt Lake City, UT

• Vadley Faugue, MD – Valdosta, GA

• Sheldon Herbert, MD – TBD

• Joshua Kinsey, DO – Newnan, GA

• Miriam Onyegbula, MD – Conyers, GA

• Juan Serna-Gonzalez, DO – Thomasville, GA

• Joseph Sonntag, DO – Emporia, KS

• Isaac Su, DO – ER Residency, New Jersey