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HCA Healthcare, Medical City Healthcare, and UNT Health Science Center (UNTHSC) are teaming up to create hundreds of new residency positions in North Texas, a move that helps address the state’s growing physician shortage and improves healthcare across the region.

This partnership is a result of HCA’s continued investment in building the nation’s physician supply by providing much needed residency and fellowship positions within its top-performing facilities. It also reflects a commitment shared by UNTHSC and Texas Christian University to train healthcare providers of the future for North Texas and beyond.

Medical City has pledged over the next seven years to develop approximately 500 resident positions in its 14 hospitals across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This partnership will result in the establishment of programs in internal medicine and general surgery among other specialties.

The academic sponsor of those residencies will be UNTHSC, which has two medical schools: the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and the planned TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, a collaborative college established by the two universities, which is scheduled to open in 2019, pending accreditation.

“The establishment of these residency positions is vital to the health of this incredible community that we serve,” said Erol Akdamar, president of Medical City Healthcare. “Studies show that physicians often remain in the communities where they complete their residencies. Not only will this investment result in significant additional physician capacity, but we know that when we convert facilities into teaching hospitals patient care gets even better. It reflects our dedication to improve the health, wellness, and future of our community.”

Medical City Healthcare has a proud history in graduate medical education. Medical City Fort Worth has prepared medical graduates for practice since 2000 in several accredited programs including cardiology and interventional cardiology, family medicine, neuromusculoskeletal medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery and internal medicine. Medical City Weatherford currently offers graduate medical education in internal medicine and dermatology. This new partnership expands the system’s commitment and impact on the health of the community.

“This agreement shows how the new TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine will be a driving force in transforming medical education and expanding residency opportunities in North Texas,” said TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. “We’re creating a pipeline for new physicians that will take them from medical school directly into the local workforce to care for our community.”

A separate agreement will create additional clinical training opportunities in Medical City’s network of hospitals for UNTHSC students enrolled in the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, the planned TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, UNT System College of Pharmacy and the School of Health Professions, which offers graduate degrees for physician assistants and physical therapists.

“It’s important that we develop more of these innovative public-private partnerships that don’t strain state resources but still improve healthcare in Texas,” said Michael R. Williams, president of UNTHSC. “By developing more residency slots and creating new training opportunities for all of our students, we’ll be at the forefront of transforming healthcare in our community and creating medical providers of the future.”

About Medical City Healthcare

Medical City Healthcare is one of the North Texas region’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare providers and includes 14 hospitals, more than 4,400 active physicians and 17,000 employees in North Texas. Three Medical City Healthcare hospitals are accredited comprehensive stroke centers, five hospitals hold the prestigious Magnet Recognized® status from the American Nurses Association, and six have been recognized by The Joint Commission as Top Performers in the nation. Medical City Healthcare is part of HCA Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of high-quality, patient-centered care.

About UNT Health Science Center

UNT Health Science Center has approximately 2,300 graduate students across its five existing colleges for health care providers and scientists. The TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine, is scheduled to open in 2019, pending accreditation. The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine graduates more primary care physicians than any medical school in Texas. For more information, visit www.unthsc.edu.

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