4
aspire
Fall 2014
Jason Mack, DO
Hospitalist,Aspirus
Wausau Hospital
Coy Johnston III, MD
Aspirus Weston Clinic
Ramses Masis, MD
Aspirus Weston Clinic
Patrick Allen, DO
Aspirus Family
Physicians in Wausau
William Noble, MD
Walk-in clinic at Aspirus
Doctors Clinic in
Wisconsin Rapids
Training
and
retaining
doctors
key to region’s health
THE
Wausau Family Medicine
Residency Program is thriving,
and it is having a positive impact
on health care in north central
Wisconsin.
In June, the 2014 class of third-
year family medicine residents
graduated from the program.
All five physicians chose to
stay in north central Wisconsin
and remain Aspirus physicians,
continuing a trend that will
benefit area residents.
The residency program, which
Aspirus operates in partnership
with the University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public
Health, has been in Wausau
since 1978. To date, 174 family
medicine physicians have
graduated from the program,
60 percent of whom have stayed
in the state to practice.
“My wife and I have been in
both small and large cities, but I
think we knew early on during
my residency that we were going
to stay in the Wausau area after
graduation,” said Ramses Masis,
MD, a member of this year’s
graduating class. “The facilities at
Aspirus are great and we love the
community.”
Why it’s important for
residents to stay
According to a 2011 report
by the Wisconsin Hospital
Association, the state is facing
a looming physician shortage
and must attract an estimated
100 additional new physicians
annually over the next 20 years
to keep pace with the demand for
care. Family medicine physicians
and other primary care providers
are often the first point of access
to health care for patients, so it is
important that people have the
ability to see these physicians.
Hospitals and clinics located in
rural areas often have additional
challenges recruiting physicians,
but data indicate that doctors
who receive their training in these
areas are more likely to stay. This
is the first year that the entire
group of graduating Wausau
Family Medicine Residency
physicians has remained with
Aspirus.
Growing program
The Wausau Family Medicine Residency Program
is pleased to welcome three new faculty members:
w
John Wheat, DO, joins the staff as associate
program director. A 2004 graduate of the
program, he has spent several years caring for
patients in Merrill.
w
Michael Bolan, DO.
w
Kevin Koobmoov Thao, MD.
The residency program also has added a satellite
clinical program at Aspirus Weston Clinic. There,
one resident will be supervised by the following
faculty physicians:
w
Larry Gordon, DO.
w
Kristen Rahn, MD.
w
Amy Sweet, MD.
LOOKING FOR A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP?
Establishing a relationship with a primary care provider for you and your
family is important. If you need help finding a primary care provider,
go online to
aspirus.org
or call the Aspirus Information Center at
715.847.2380
or
800.847.4707
.
By the
numbers
physicians have
graduated from
the program.
of those residents
practice in Wisconsin.
graduates are
practicing in north
central Wisconsin.
174 103 51
2014
graduates
