Episode Details

Bonus Episode: Our History.  

Listen to some of the founders of the program as they share memories, dreams, anecdotes and vision for the Rio Bravo Family Residency Program. End of Season 1.

The sun rises over the San Joaquin Valley, California, today is November 6, 2020.

The 2021 Match season is in full development. We have reviewed many applications and interviews will begin this coming week. We wish good luck to all candidates. May you find a residency that meets your expectations and provides you the training you want.

Today we present a bonus episode to remember our program history. How did this residency program start? Who helped with the foundation of the program? What improvements are expected in the future? We will answer those and other questions in this bonus episode, and you will hear from some of the founders of the program.

Stay tuned.

This is Rio Bravo qWeek, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program, from Bakersfield, California. Sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Providing compassionate and affordable care since 1971.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke

Congratulations to the winner of the presidential elections in the United States of America. Good men need to be actively engaged in improving our society, otherwise evil will prevail and chaos, suffering and misery will spread. I think our residency program is an example of good things that have been done by good people. We will listen to an interview done by Dr Manzanares, our current chief resident, with Mr Schilling, former CEO of Clinica Sierra Vista and founder of the program. Sandra Lopez, our first residency coordinator, will also share her thoughts. And we will also hear from two graduates of our first class, Dr Cindy Her and Fernando Palacios. Dr Stewart will close the episode sharing her vision for the future. 

Foundation of the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program

The first class started on June 23, 2014. The first residents were: Hector Arreaza, Josue Balart, Rafael Chiquillo, Cindy Her, Fernando Palacios, and Adan Romero. Program Director: Carol Stewart; Program Coordinator: Sandra Lopez. Faculty: Irene Sunday and Ryan Cabatbat. 

The program was housed in the Greenfield Community Health Center until March 6, 2015, when the East Niles Community Health Center was officially opened to the public.

The program increased the number of residents in each class from 6 to 8 every year in 2019. 

Statistics: Graduates as of November 2020: 21, with 2 residents graduating by the end of January 2021, for a total of 23 residents. Stayed in the Central Valley: 14. Underserved areas: 19. Stayed in Bakersfield: 11. Stayed with Clinica Sierra Vista: 12.

Our mission: To Seek, Teach and Serve​

Educate and train high quality family medicine residents in multicultural, rural and underserved settings.

Support a family medicine-centered education service and research in Kern County.

Facilitate the development and sustenance of a regional service-education network for family physicians and allied health professionals.

Serve in a general capacity to facilitate, research and organize innovative approaches to health care in family and community medicine.

​Our Goals

Excellence in medical education.

Facilitate selection of practice sites in the Central San Joaquin Valley.

Provide ongoing support in practice through continuing medical education efforts, research activities and program educational activities.

Develop and implement the health team concept in the health care delivery system for this region.

Respect for resident’s well-being.

Instruct residents in longitudinal care of their pati