The Family Medicine program offers outstanding inpatient and outpatient experiences.  Residents are supported by Altru’s comprehensive team of skilled providers while their personal patient practices meet or exceed accreditation requirements in all areas providing superior learning opportunities.  The support staff is dedicated solely to the Program and computerized records and on-line dictation complete an outstanding educational environment.

For prospective resident information, call (701) 780-6810.  For patient care services call (701) 780-6800.

Goal:

To produce family physicians capable of, and dedicated to, meeting the needs of patients in challenging circumstances, with self sufficiency and reliance and commitment to professional growth.

Objectives:

• An optimal learning environment based on strong ambulatory and inpatient experiences.
• Clinical curiosity and self-evaluation skills.
• Attainment of competence in medical knowledge, patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism and systems-based practice.
• Appropriate self confidence by encouraging autonomy commensurate with development.
• Strong role modeling from experienced clinicians combining scholarship and substantial practice.

Rationale:

Family physicians enjoy a relationship with patient and family that includes trust and obligation. The most effective possess strong interpersonal and communication skills and their care shows responsibility and professionalism.  Effective care requires sound medical knowledge and rigorous clinical logic.  Further, since contemporary practice involves complex, systems of health care delivery, experience of systems and resource utilization is fundamental.  Finally, since knowledge changes constantly, physicians must be adept at reading scientific literature, be able to separate the good from the bad, and be able to integrate those advances that are genuinely beneficial into daily practice. 

The faculty has a combined 117 years of active, clinical practice.  Their advice is practical, not theoretical or conjectural.

• Greg D.Greek, MD, Program Director , the current program director, appointed in 2003, joined the center in 1992. Dr. Greek was born and raised in rural North Dakota and received his MD from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine. He is a graduate of the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency Program in Grand Forks and was in private practice in northern Minnesota prior to joining the residency. He has a special interest in Sports Medicine, OB/Gyn and Pediatrics. 
      
• Heidi Philpot, MD ,  joined the program as an assistant director in September 2006. She received her medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Originally from Grand Forks, Dr. Philpot completed her residency and has started her practice at the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency. 
    
• Larry O. Halvorson, MD, pursued undergraduate studies at Moorhead State University in Moorhead, Minnesota. He received his medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and was in private practice prior to involving himself in the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency. He has been affiliated with the residency since 1983 and served as program director from 1996 to 2003. 
      
• Kim Konzak-Jones, MD , joined the program as an assistant director in September 2001. A graduate of the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, she completed her residency in Grand Forks in 1995. Dr. Konzak-Jones practiced at Towner County Medical Center for six years prior to joining the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency. Her areas of interest include OB/GYN, Pediatrics and Geriatrics.
  
  
• William S. Mann, MD, served as residency program director from 1983-1996. Born and raised in Scotland, Dr. Mann received his medical degree from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and has maintained a private practice since 1977. He served as chair of the Department of Family Medicine at UND School of Medicine from 1996 to 2003 and returned to the residency program as a faculty member in March 2002. He has a special interest in Sports Medicine. 
   
• Jamie R. Roed, MD, joined the program as an assistant director in December 2005. He received his medical degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Originally from Devils Lake, Dr. Roed completed his residency at the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency in 2000 and has been practicing at the Family Medicine Center from 2000-2005. 
  

	Richard Clarens, PharmD, has been associated with the residency program since 1980. A North Dakota native he received his Pharmacy degree from North Dakota State University and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Minnesota. He completed a clinical pharmacy residency in California at the Palo Alto VA Hospital, and did a clinical pharmacy fellowship at St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center.
	David A. Jackson, PhD, received his bachelor's degree from Whitworth College in Spokane and his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of North Dakota.  He interned at the Norfolk Regional Center in Nebraska and completed his residency at the Center for Psychiatric Care in Grand Forks.  Dr. Jackson has extensive experience with objective and projective psychological assessments, and providing group, individual, marital and family therapy to a wide range of clientele.
	Catherine Yeager, PhD, joined the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency in 2001. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from UND and completed her internship at Children's Hospitals - Minneapolis. Dr. Yeager's specialties include child/adolescent therapy, infant/toddler assessment, and pediatric neuropsychological assessment.
	Becky Westereng, LRD, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from the University of North Dakota in 1994. She worked with the WIC program in Minot, ND and as a clinical/research dietitian at the University of Minnesota. She joined the Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency in 2001.

PGY1

• Pooja Handa, MD
• Gerardo Lantoria, MD
• Jane Ostlie, MD
• Raphael Peralta, MD
• Joshua Ranum, MD
• Stacy Roers, MD
• Winter Wilson, MD

PGY2

• Christina Brown, MD
• Shihshing Cheng, MD
• Mandi Johnson, MD
• Derek Lyste, MD
• Rodrigo Roxas, MD
• Brad Skari, MD
• Jessica Skjolden, MD

PGY3

• Matthew Dammeyer, MD   
• Joshua Deere, MD   
• Renae Dorrity, MD
• Lisa Jamsa, MD
• Karin Lokensgard, MD

Psychology Interns

Two or three master-level psychology interns from the University of North Dakota Psychology Department, working on their doctorates, are present in the residency program.  Their presence, with their faculty, adds to a strong behavioral medicine component and allows the residents to benefit from an inter-disciplinary, learning environment.

• Rita Austin
• Colleen Brown
• Jill Camrud
• Pam Carlson
• Wanda Cary
• Brenda Cloninger
• Jodi Deitz
• Anita Farrell
• Angela Foster
• Marilyn Gaddie
• Angella Graves
• Jana Hanson
• Melissa Hefferman
• Stacey Herbeck
• Penny Hiebert
• Heather Holter
• Alana Hornbaker
• Linda Hurley
• Charmelle Kozel
• Kathy Loftsgard
• Kari Pankonin
• Cheryl Parvey
• Lisa Schirrick
• Joy Schoenborn
• Kim Sorcic
• Cindy Stoller
• Sara Vaagene 
• Rebecca Vezina

The Residency Program, part of Altru Health System , is located 1.2 miles north of Altru's main campus between the university campus and a residential area.  It is equipped with 27 exam rooms, conference rooms with multimedia capability, a medical library, lab and x-ray facilities, obstetrical ultrasound, colposcopy, EKG, stress testing and multiple other facilities appropriate to the care of ambulatory patients.  Readily available Internet access allows residents to quickly locate relevant information and supports the program's commitment to evidence-based medicine (see Scholarly Activity).  Each resident has his/her own workspace and is provided with a laptop and personal digital assistant (PDA) to facilitate continuing medical education.  There is also direct access to the health system’s computerized medical record for easy access to laboratory results and other data.

Support Staff

Support staff consists of eight full-time nurses, two part-time nurses, a medical technologist, a laboratory technician, an x-ray technician, and front office staff.  Program faculty members maintain major clinical practices at the center, and two preceptors are always present to assist residents.  Residents' charts are reviewed by a preceptor who may offer constructive advice.  Records are easily accessible for quality assurance projects chosen once a year by each resident.

FIRST YEAR
Stipend - $45,207 per year (fiscal year 2008-2009)
Uniforms and laundry are provided
On call meals
Health insurance coverage for the residents and their families will be provided
Malpractice, liability, and disability insurance will be provided
Vacation consisting of fifteen working days
Medical education leave consisting of five working days

SECOND YEAR
Stipend - $46,839 per year (fiscal year 2008-2009)
Uniforms and laundry are provided
On call meals
Health insurance coverage for the residents and their families will be provided
Malpractice, liability, and disability insurance will be provided
Vacation consisting of fifteen working days
Medical education leave consisting of five working days

THIRD YEAR
Stipend - $48,525 per year (fiscal year 2008-2009)
Uniforms and laundry are provided
On call meals
Health insurance coverage for the residents and their families will be provided
Malpractice, liability, and disability insurance will be provided
Vacation consisting of fifteen working days
Medical education leave consisting of five working days

Please see "Application" at gfresidency.com.

Electives
Interested medical students are encouraged to consider an elective in family practice in the program.  Students serve at an intern level and assume patient care responsibilities with the Family Practice Teaching Services as well as participate in office visits at the Center.  Electives are also available in Obstetrics and Sports Medicine. 

Questions
If you have questions about admission requirements or other items about the program, please contact Dr. Greg Greek, Program Director, or Pam Carlson, Residency Coordinator at:

Mailing Address:
Grand Forks Family Medicine Residency
725 Hamline Street Grand Forks , ND 58203
Telephone: 701-780-6810
Fax: 701-780-6817

Greg Greek, MD Program Director	Pam Carlson Residency Coordinator pcarlson@altru.org

Rotations are scheduled on a monthly basis with all changes occurring on the first of the month.  There is a total of five months of elective time, which may be used to gain an in-depth knowledge of a particular area of practice, gain more experience with procedures, practice in a remote or rural setting, or pursue clinical research. 

First Year
The first year of residency contains no electives and provides a broad base upon which to build a future practice in family medicine.  In-house call is approximately one night in four or nine of the twelve months. 

Second Year
The second year allows some elective time, and continues to develop the fund of experience that is required of a practicing family physician.  The clinical experience centers less on in-patient care and begins to focus on ambulatory care. 

Third Year
During their third year, residents are given more leeway in scheduling their rotations, with more elective time being available.  Each resident acts as chief of the teaching service for two months, and throughout the rest of the year is on-call to provide backup for the in-house resident. 

Family Practice Teaching Service

The Family Practice Teaching Service provides inpatient care.  It is made up of one or two first-year residents, one second-year resident and one third-year resident acting as chief.  Each morning, the team meets with an attending physician for teaching rounds.  Here, the management of each patient is discussed and bedside teaching is emphasized. Selected topics are reviewed several times per week and a member of the radiology staff attends for part of a morning each week to discuss interpretation of x-rays.