NORFOLK — Sentara Health plans to roughly double residency positions in the next six years, increasing the pipeline of future physicians by adding residencies and fellowships at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and establishing new residency programs at several hospitals, including Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center.
Sentara said it is partnering with the newly formed Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences center at Old Dominion University to boost training opportunities and grow the healthcare workforce in Hampton Roads.
This month, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University officially launched the Brock Virginia Health Sciences center, which Sentara said will offer the largest portfolio of health sciences degrees in Virginia. Sentara has committed $350 million over the next decade to support the center.
Currently, Sentara funds 240 residency positions at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Sentara plans to fund more than 400 positions after the expansion, according to Dr. Michael Hooper, vice president and chief academic officer.
“We believe strongly that if we train more physicians locally in our markets, we’re more likely to keep physicians locally in our markets,” said Dr. Hooper.
The efforts come in the face of a national physician shortage. The Association of American Medical Colleges released a recent report that projects the United States will face “a total projected shortage of between 13,500 and 86,000 physicians by 2036.”
At Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara plans to expand training programs in cardiology, anesthesia, and neurology.
“We are working to train the specialties that the community needs,” said Dr. Hooper.
Sentara also plans to establish new residency programs at the following four hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina:
• Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton
• Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center in Williamsburg
• Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center in Woodbridge
• Sentara Albemarle Medical Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Sentara continues investment in training programs
Hooper noted Sentara has a long record of making a significant investment in residency training.
Since 2003, Sentara has nearly doubled residency positions, it said, increasing the total from 125 to 240 today, with 80 positions added in the last decade.
According to Sentara, federal programs contribute most financial support for residency positions, with additional funding coming from private sources such as health systems, hospitals, and universities.
Sentara has also invested money to help students in the early stages of pursuing healthcare careers, it said.
In February of 2023, Sentara announced that it was contributing nearly $4 million to two pipeline development programs aimed at helping students from underserved communities pursue careers in healthcare.
Sentara said it has invested more than $3 million in Sentara Scholars, a program that provides financial support to students in healthcare and healthcare-related programs, with the goal of removing financial barriers to enrollment and retention.
In 2023, Sentara Scholars helped more than 7,000 students across Virginia and North Carolina overcome financial barriers to education, whether through tuition assistance or by providing emergency funds to cover unexpected expenses like vehicle repairs. As part of the program, Sentara partnered with colleges and universities such as the College of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, George Mason University in Fairfax and Old Dominion University in Norfolk.
Sentara noted it also invested more than $775,000 in Project CHOICE, which helps students pursue clinical and non-clinical healthcare careers. The funding impacts approximately 500 students across ten organizations and academic institutions.