HCA Midwest Health making communities healthier through GME

The nation, and the Kansas City region as a whole, is facing a predicted shortage of physicians over the next decade. As the largest local provider of high-quality, compassionate healthcare, HCA Midwest Health has worked to become part of the solution by helping train the next generation of physicians.

HCA Midwest Health has a rich history of providing medical training and education. For nearly 10 years, the health system has provided Graduate Medical Education (GME) to medical student graduates who have received their Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degrees. GME programs are the period of education in a particular specialty (residency) or subspecialty (fellowship) following medical school. 

From the moment graduates join an HCA Midwest Health hospital residency or fellowship program, they are mentored by a dynamic network of experienced physicians focused on teaching them to provide the exceptional, compassionate care patients deserve. The programs are led by an accomplished faculty, maintained under rigorous standards, and tailored to provide extensive training for future physicians and leaders to better their communities, while caring for and improving patients’ lives.

“GME programs are not just about training individual physicians. They are vital for building a sustainable and high-quality healthcare system,” said Eric Quirion, HCA Midwest Health’s vice president of graduate medical education.  “There is also an added clinical value in the transition of knowledge and skills from experienced physician leaders to new trainees, ensuring continuity of expert care.”

HCA Midwest Health’s growing GME program has graduated more than 180 physicians since its inception in 2017. Program highlights include:

• 150 residents and fellows currently working throughout HCA Midwest Health facilities in nine GME programs, including family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic surgery and cardiology.
• The onboarding of its largest class ever – 66 new residents and fellows – in June of 2025.
• An opportunity for financial assistance through HCA Healthcare’s “Earn While You Learn” Resident/Fellow Stipend Program.
• Meeting and exceeding the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) standards.
• The recent graduation of its inaugural class of three cardiovascular fellows, including Kansas City native Drew Thomas, MD, who will now serve as the program’s first interventional cardiology fellow.
• An additional internal medicine GME program at Centerpoint Medical Center, which will open a new, dedicated suite and simulation lab in Fall of 2025.

"Education is at the heart of advancing healthcare," said HCA Midwest Health President Keith Zimmerman. "Collaborating with highly respected medical colleges and universities, our experienced medical staff and faculty enables us to combine resources and expertise to develop a new generation of highly trained, compassionate and skilled physicians. 

“This alignment further solidifies our commitment to improving high-quality patient care through education and innovation, while also increasing access to care. And our hope is these newly trained physicians choose to stay in the great communities we serve.”