Adventist Health Sonora Celebrates Two New Educational Programs

Adventist Health Image

Sonora, CA — Two new programs at Adventist Health Sonora aim to open more pathways to healthcare careers and expand access to care in the community.

The Pacific Union College (PUC) Associate of Science in Nursing program at Adventist Health Sonora welcomed its first class of 20 students this fall. It operates in a hybrid format with online coursework and on-site clinical rotations at the hospital. It allows students to stay in Tuolumne County and serve the community while advancing their nursing careers. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark the beginning of the new program.

Also recently, the Family Medicine Residency Rural Training Track welcomed its first cohort of four family medicine physicians who will complete hands-on residency training over the next two years in Sonora. They will receive advanced training designed for new family medicine physicians with a special emphasis on the unique needs of rural communities. The correlating opening of the new Family Medicine Residency Medical Office was celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

Greg McCulloch, Adventist Health Sonora President, says, “One of our core beliefs as an organization is that our rural community deserves accessible, quality healthcare. These programs are building a pipeline of homegrown healthcare professionals so we can serve the needs of our community, now and into the future.”

Tyler Newton, Adventist Health Sonora operations and service line executive, adds, “We see our workforce training programs as a win-win. They help us continue to meet the growing healthcare needs of our region and expand access to care while providing opportunities for talented, caring people in the Mother Lode to stay local while advancing their careers and caring for the community they love.”