Fredericksburg Parent

38 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • July 2023 INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt Healthy communities depend on access to high-quality primary-care physicians. As experts predict a looming shortage of primary-care doctors in Virginia and the U.S., Mary Washington Healthcare has launched a new program to promote the growth of the primary-care field in the Fredericksburg region. Mary Washington Healthcare's Graduate Medical Education program gives medical-school graduates the opportunity to complete residency programs here in Fredericksburg. The pro- gram launched this year with residency offerings in internal medicine and family medicine. The healthcare provider plans to also offer residencies in surgery, anesthesia and other areas in the future. "We wanted to start with primary-care specialties because of the huge need for primary care here in Fredericksburg," says Dr. Laura Helmly, DO, director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. "We believe that by training people here, they will hopefully want to stay and con- tinue to serve the area. It's a way for us to attract primary-care providers who can be engaged in the community early on in their training." Family medicine physicians care for people of all ages, from birth to death. Internal medicine physicians treat patients 18 and older. Both are important primary-care providers. Mary Washington Healthcare Launches the Area's First-Ever Residency Program Laura Helmly, DO Medical Residents Bring Fresh Expertise to Fredericksburg Community

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