2 Valley hospitals are working hard to recruit young doctors

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the last three years, Kaiser Permanente Fresno and Valley Children's Hospital have been working together to train future doctors.

The program has medical residents rotating their time between the two health care facilities, with the hope that those students stay in the Central Valley once they finish their residency.

"We want to teach the residents coming through training to become pediatricians and how important it is to make that connection with the parents to show them these are the healthy things you can offer your children," said Dr. Yvonne Juarez, Kaiser Permanente Fresno.

Residents participating in the three-year program will work at a Kaiser clinic and the Valley Children's newborn nursery.

The location and program caught the eye of medical school graduate Erica Ortiz.

Her husband is from the Valley, and she wants to work in pediatrics.

"I think there is a calling to becoming a physician. I think that a lot of people want to good by helping others and what other profession really gives you that opportunity than taking care of people and taking care of little kids," she said.

Ortiz hopes to work at one of the hospitals when here residency is complete.

Kaiser has another program that gives students in the middle of medical school a head start on a residency.

For six weeks, students from California North-State University work with physicians in several areas of Kaiser.

One of the students this summer is a Central Valley native.

"Fresno has been home for most of my life, and I want to give back to the community. And it is where I have my friends and family. I just want to come back and be able to contribute to the community," said Jaspreet Nakai, a medical school student.

Both of these programs have the goal of recruiting young doctors to plant roots in the Central Valley for many years.