LOS ANGELES, CA, (September 3, 2024)—MLK Community Healthcare is thrilled to announce a generous $150,000 grant from BMO to strengthen its Graduate Medical Education (GME) program. This gift will help support 15 physician residents—all doctors of color—as they complete a three-year residency program at MLKCH.
Launched in 2022, MLKCH’s internal medicine residency program attracts talented, diverse physicians from across the nation, building a pipeline of physicians to serve South Los Angeles and similar communities. This is a strategic priority for MLKCH, contributing to the nationwide need for physicians of color and supporting better health outcomes for patients in South LA.
Residents of South LA face challenges in finding care and healthcare providers they can trust. A key component of the GME program is training new doctors who can address social determinants of health—the socioeconomic and environmental factors that impact health outcomes—in their practice.
"This is a program for doctors who believe that healthcare is a right and not a privilege," says Dr. John Fisher, Chief Medical Officer at MLKCH. "Our mission is part of a broader societal conversation about how we tear down the obstacles – personal, political, institutional – that stand in the way of health equity. Our residents have the opportunity to not only receive a rigorous, high-caliber medical education, but to also take part in a larger movement to make our country a fairer and better place." The residency program includes rotations throughout the hospital, all three outpatient sites, and four partner sites, including Cedars-Sinai and UCLA. Residents meet patients with a wide range of health conditions and diagnoses, gaining a thorough understanding of associated social determinants and root causes. They also complete rounds with a variety of professionals—including care coordinators, social workers, and the Street Medicine team—who help them understand the full continuum of care that the most vulnerable patients need.
Residency programs are key to recruiting physicians of color who will serve vulnerable communities like South LA. Across the US, data show that a majority of physicians practice in the region in which they train, with as high as 40% of physicians staying within 10 miles of their residencies. Furthermore, research indicates that patients have a better experience when they see doctors of the same racial or ethnic background, supporting MLKCH’s goal to recruit doctors who look like the patients served by the healthcare system.
Investing in South LA, Together
“We are deeply grateful to BMO for their support and partnership,” said Dyan Sublett, President of the MLK Community Health Foundation. She emphasized that BMO’s generous contribution is an investment in South LA and an affirmation that the community deserves high-quality, compassionate care.
Sandy Dunleavy, Regional President, Southern California, BMO, shared similar sentiments, highlighting that empowering communities is one of BMO's key priorities. “We’ve seen the incredible work MLKCH has done over the last ten years—identifying obstacles to good health in South LA and systematically tackling them, one by one. We’re delighted to partner with them to drive progress for equitable healthcare and break down barriers to create a more inclusive society.”
To learn more about MLKCH’s Graduate Medical Education program, visit mlkch.org/residency.