Pritzker News
University of Chicago Medical Center Now Recruiting Physicians for REACH Incentive Program
March 3, 2009—In an effort to encourage and support some of the nation’s most promising community-oriented physicians to practice in the typically underserved South Side area of Chicago, the University of Chicago Medical Center announced the REACH (Repayment for Education to Alumni in Community Health) Program in 2008. The program provides $40,000 per year for up to four years for graduates of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine who complete a residency in primary care or much-needed specialties and then return to practice medicine at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or a community hospital in the Medical Center’s primary service area. This stipend is given in addition to the salary provided by the FQHC.
The REACH Program is actively recruiting for three positions:
- The Friend Family Health Center, a federally qualified health center affiliated with the University of Chicago, is currently seeking a full-time physician Board Certified or Board Eligible in Family Medicine or Internal Medicine-Pediatrics for outpatient primary care at its site at 55th & Cottage Grove. Interested applicants should have strong academic interests in teaching medical students and in Quality Improvement, and should send their CV and cover letter to Dr. Leah Mooshil Durst, Medical Director, ldurst@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu or fax to 773/702-2193.
- The Friend Family Health Center is also seeking full-time physicians Board Certified or Board Eligible in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine-Pediatrics and Pediatrics for outpatient primary care in a heavily Hispanic community on the southwest side of Chicago. Bilingual in Spanish or skills with medical Spanish are preferred. The office will be newly renovated for Summer, 2009 and currently is staffed with two full-time Ob/Gyn providers and part-time pediatrics. Interested applicants should have strong academic interests in teaching medical students and in Quality Improvement, and should send their CV and cover letter to Dr. Leah Mooshil Durst, Medical Director, ldurst@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu or fax to 773/702-2193.
- The Beloved Community Family Health Center is seeking a family practice physician to work in a Community Health Center setting providing comprehensive primary health care services to patients in the prevention, diagnoses and treatment of disease, act as primary care provider within the scope of family practice, and to provide in-patient hospital coverage. Beloved Community Family Health Center is currently housed in St. Bernard’s Hospital, but will soon move to a much larger renovated site. Beloved’s medical director, a family practice physician, works closely with the Southside Healthcare Collaborative, a network of Health Centers committed to improving the safety net for at-risk populations. Qualifications: Illinois licensed health professional (MD or D.O); experience working in a clinical setting with diverse population; excellent organizational and interpersonal skills required. Interested applicants should contact Executive Director, Margie Johnson at Mjohnson@bcfwc.org.
REACH is thought to be unique. This is the first time a private academic medical center has implemented a program that helps its young graduates manage their debt while simultaneously helping patients with limited resources and access to care. The incentive program is open to primary care physicians as well as selected specialists.
