Because of a partnership between health care organizations in the region, resident physicians are furthering their education and increasing the number of patients treated at Battle Ground HealthCare (BGHC) clinic.
Twice a month, the BGHC clinic is a training ground for two resident physicians completing their educations with Legacy Hospital and Vancouver Clinic, which also helps BGHC relieve the patient backlog of caring for low-income, uninsured and underinsured residents in Clark County and beyond. Not only does the partnership help BGHC, it helps the up-and-coming doctors complete their requirements.
“Being a part of the training program, we get exposure to all kinds of populations working at a free health clinic, and it makes you see special populations who are in need of better health care,” second-year internal resident physician Yash Patel said. “Second, it helps you gain experience working with them and kind of making value-based health care decisions about what tests you order … so that you are trying to provide value concise health care to patients that need it.”
Patel said the experience has also improved his Spanish-speaking skills by treating Hispanic patients, who make up 60% of BGHC’s patients.
Patel believes BGHC is providing community members a huge service in their health care because it is free. As part of his regular residency program, Patel sees patients seeking treatment to diseases that are treated easily in Battle Ground.
“They’re coming in [to a hospital] because of complications from very similar diseases that could have been easily managed if they had access to a free clinic like this,” Patel said. “So I think that’s one of the big advantages of this clinic.”
BGHC’s residency clinics take place twice a month on Mondays, freeing up slots for more patients to be served. BGHC mainly relies on licensed professionals to volunteer their time to care for their patients.
“We don’t have enough physicians in the community, period, just to cover what our demands are, and so the medical community is stretched thin enough,” BGHC Medical Director Jens Metzger said. “It’s been a great benefit to the clinic, and to have resident physicians that are in training to be able to utilize and help the patients in this setting, as well. It’s a great source of professional services for us.”
The training program began in July of 2022 with BGHC holding its first residency clinic in August of 2023. Two resident physicians participate in each clinic, with 24 total residents participating in a year.
The resident physicians participating have completed medical school with a focus in internal medicine, and are completing their required three years of specialty training in clinics and hospitals.
“What’s wonderful about the Battle Ground HealthCare residency program is they have time to do a complete evaluation of their patients. We give a half hour for established patients and an hour for new patients,” said Kathryn Pence, associate director of medical services at BGHC. “So they can truly get that relationship going and also have time enough to do a complete past history. Care at Battle Ground Health Care is truly value-based care.”
To learn more about BGHC, visit bghealthcare.org.
