Conway Medical Center (CMC) has received a $1,000,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to assist in the development of a new residency program. The CMC Residency Program will provide medical training to 37 residents who have selected careers in family medicine and transitional year (those who wish to specialize). The program is in partnership with the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Buies Creek, N.C.

“This grant will help CMC increase access to healthcare for at least 6,000 patients annually in Horry County through the residency program,” said Bret Barr, president and CEO of Conway Medical Center. “Approximately 2,000 patients served by this program will be medically underserved. We appreciate and value the support of The Duke Endowment to assist us in continuing to serve our community.”

Horry County is considered a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) and Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) by the Health Research and Services Administration (HRSA).

“We have a physician shortage in Horry County. This county will need approximately 98 more primary care physicians in the next three to five years,” said Dr. Paul Richardson, CMC’s chief medical officer. “Research shows that physicians who complete residencies in South Carolina are 45% more likely to practice within 50 miles of where they trained. This residency program will give us a long-term and sustainable solution to address a growing need. With support like this grant from The Duke Endowment, and our great working relationship with Campbell University, this training program will become a reality very soon.”

Junior and senior-level medical students from Campbell University will be on the CMC campus in August for experiential learning, and the first cohort of residents will arrive in July 2020. In preparation for their arrival, CMC will construct a 15,000-square-foot CMC Family Residency Building next to the hospital on Myrtle Trace Drive. The building will feature 18 exam rooms, along with education space and locker rooms. Residents will complete rotations in various specialties including family medicine, cardiology, surgery, rural medicine, and disaster recovery – one of the first residencies in the state to do so. This disaster education in the residents’ curriculum will be part of CMC’s new Center for Medical Excellence in Disaster Recovery.

Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $3.6 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.

For more information on Conway Medical Center, visit www.ConwayMedicalCenter.com.