Sollus Northwest Family Medicine Residency: Rooted in Rural Care and Community

America’s rural communities are facing a quiet crisis: while millions rely on them for care, the healthcare workforce they depend on is shrinking,

aging, and increasingly out of reach. Sollus Northwest Family Medicine Residency is growing a workforce prepared for the realities of rural health care. Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic (YVFWC) launched the program over a decade ago to introduce new doctors to the Community Health Center model of care and the communities we serve.

Since 2010, 28 physicians have graduated from the program, and YVFWC retained over 60% of these providers. Many of the other graduates went on to practice in rural communities outside our network of care. Program Director Dr. Katheryn Norris explained, “Residents will usually practice near where they train,” which helps make this program a powerful tool for sustaining local healthcare.

Based at Grandview Medical-Dental Clinic, Sollus Northwest Family Medicine Residency is a community-based residency rooted in YVFWC’s patient-centered, integrated care model. Residents get hands-on training at our clinics, which helps expand access to care for patients. What makes the program especially attractive to residents is its real-world approach. Physicians are exposed to the barriers many rural patients face, from transportation challenges to limited access to specialty care.

“It trains physicians how to navigate the system and barriers to care from the onset of their training,” said Dr. Norris. “They learn real world medicine from day one.”

This environment fosters independence, resilience, and creativity in patient care; skills essential for practicing in rural and underserved settings.

For Dr. Keith Goodman, a graduate of the program and now a Clinical Medical Director at YVFWC, that experience was transformative. He interviewed for more than a dozen residencies but chose the Sollus Northwest Family Medicine Residency because of its focus on rural outpatient medicine and its strong sense of community.

“They drew me in, but they kept me with the mission,” said Goodman. “At the end of the day, your cup is full, you feel like you’ve made a difference in people’s lives.”

Residents are also drawn to the program’s supportive, close-knit culture. The smaller cohort allows training to be very personalized, with strong mentorship and meaningful connections between faculty and residents. As Dr. Norris noted, “They appreciate how much support they receive, and how rich their training is.”

The Sollus Northwest Family Medicine Residency reflects YVFWC’s commitment to growing compassionate physicians who are prepared, and inspired, to serve where they are needed most.