Family Medicine Residency Introduces Alaska Site Rotation

The University of Utah’s Family Medicine Residency Program has been selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Pilot Program for Graduate Medical Education and Residency (PPGMER) for the 2025-2026 academic year. The program is designed to improve healthcare access for veterans and other populations living in rural and underserved regions by providing funding for resident physician rotations at high-priority locations.

As part of this program, Family Medicine residents will begin rotations in July 2025 at Ilanka Community Health Center in Alaska, expanding the residency program’s rural training opportunities.

The Family Medicine Residency Program is committed to training physicians who will lead innovation in the field and address national healthcare challenges, improving the health of the populations they serve. The program’s core curriculum faculty member for rural rotations and community outreach, Laura (Eli) Moreno, MD, identified an opportunity to expand rural training sites in alignment with this mission.

“One of our residents grew up in Alaska and has family there. It occurred to me that they may want to return and serve their community as a clinician someday,” said Moreno. “We also see patients from Alaska who travel to the University of Utah for care. It’s important that we understand their healthcare system and the challenges rural Alaskan communities face.”

The expansion of rural rotations enriches residents’ training by fostering cultural humility and exposing them to a variety of healthcare systems. “Alaska is a unique training site, not just in geography, but also in the natural resources it offers,” said Moreno. She hopes this partnership will continue for years to come and will aid in securing funding for additional rural rotation sites.

Above all, this expansion is about supporting residents in their professional growth and personal aspirations. "One of the reasons I pursued this grant was to support our residents—to show that we value their wellness, interests, and what matters to them,” explained Moreno. “This is their family, their life, and their heart. I wanted them to know that I was listening."