Building a bright, competitive force

Thanks to the generosity of Salem Hospital supporters, internal medicine residents at the hospital are finding innovative opportunities to train, build confidence and advance patient care.

In many ways, the 27 residents in Salem Hospital's Internal Medicine Residency Program represent the future of care at the hospital. They serve as the next generation of providers, but they also bring fresh ideas, seek new approaches and ask searching questions to gain understanding in the field. For Salem Hospital, matching future providers with a pioneering training program seems like a natural fit.

Several of the hospital's supporters share this view. Through gifts from Norman H. Read, who established the Norman H. Read Charitable Trust in 1985; his longtime colleague and friend Nile L. Albright, MD; and current Salem Hospital development committee members Karen and Mike Davenport, Salem has created a robust, tech-forward program that provides hands-on training opportunities for residents and encourages them to explore urgent issues facing patients. Those opportunities include a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory, curriculum development via a quality improvement program and workshops to better understand substance use disorder.

Many of the initiatives come from the Albright Read Institute for Healthcare Improvement Science and Medical Research (ARI), which funds research, education, and implementation initiatives to improve healthcare services. A 2013 initial gift of $1.5 million from the Read Trust established the Institute.

"Part of what brings our residents to Salem is what the residency program offers in training," says Chair of Medicine Mona Hinrichsen, MD. "It distinguishes us with unique programs that are different from other community hospitals, and the residents we have in training are a bright, competitive force. Our care is now shoulder to shoulder with academic medical centers."

A major piece of the training is the simulation lab, which the hospital built during the COVID-19 pandemic to help residents gain valuable skills amid restrictions surrounding the virus. The lab replicates complex medical cases with mannequins, software, point-of-care simulated ultrasound, and even crash carts and medications.

"This type of innovative tech makes the experience as realistic as possible," says Chief Resident Brian Hurley, DO. "That's helpful for residents when they do go to the floor and see an actual case. They can help, they're more prepared and they're more confident in situations that come up."

"The sim lab is fantastic in what it offers: that an interprofessional group can come together and respond in coordinated and seamless fashion for a patient who is actively deteriorating," Dr. Hinrichsen says. "This lab has enabled our teams to improve their efficacy and response in real time. Our quality metrics have improved, and we're taking better care of patients because we're providing teams with this opportunity."

In the quality improvement program, residents have the chance to explore needs at the local level that have direct impacts on patient care. Providers are researching protocols for complicated diabetes management, blood transfusions and interpreter services for Salem Hospital's diverse populations; with the workforce funding from the ARI, they presented their work at a hospital-wide fair on May 29 and are traveling to conferences to connect with other doctors. The diabetes management project even won first place from the American College of Physicians Massachusetts chapter, and the organization invited residents to present at the national level.

"It's amazing to see how we can support this educational journey and professional growth, especially through quality improvement projects," says Daniela Urma, MD, who serves as program director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program. "The residents are experiencing the many clinical care areas of Salem Hospital and are improving outcomes for our community."

Dr. Urma has also seen how new virtual reality modules are helping residents better grasp the nuances of substance use disorder and treatments. Thanks to funds from the Davenports, providers are participating in workshops and simulations to understand how to break through barriers, destigmatize the illness and help patients obtain proper treatments. The Davenport family also attended luncheon sessions with the residents to share their vision for how to advance treatments, which made an impact on Dr. Hurley.

"To personally hear that every level of society is impacted by substance use and we need to realize that and remove the stigma — it's that much more impactful," Dr. Hurley says. "I'm very grateful to have all these resources and the chance to meet the people who are helping provide them. You don't get that opportunity everywhere."

"I don't think we'd be in the place we are without the generosity and sincere interest of our supporters to make sure we provide the best care to our community," Dr. Hinrichsen adds. "Philanthropy propels this engine to draw in the best and the brightest residents, but it also brings in and retains strong faculty. It truly has a ripple effect."