The ‘missing piece’ that boosted BayCare’s residency program

A partnership with a medical school halfway across the country has supercharged the residency program at Clearwater, Fla.-based BayCare Health System.

“BayCare already had a strong but modest academic foundation,” Stephanie Conners, BSN, RN, president and CEO of BayCare, told Becker’s, adding that it is the fastest-growing residency program in the country. “We had small numbers of residents, but we had the ability to grow. The one missing piece was an affiliation with a prestigious medical school.”

While many systems choose to partner with organizations or schools in their state, BayCare took its search nationwide. In June, BayCare officially began its partnership with Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

As of this year, BayCare has more than 300 physician residents in its residency program, and with the new collaboration, it plans to grow the program to 650 residents by 2029.

“Our people are our greatest asset,” Ms. Conners said. “BayCare has an unmatched culture rooted in clinical excellence. For us, expanding residency programs isn’t hard, it’s about securing our future with the right people and the right foundation.”

Partnering with a school more than 1,000 miles away comes with some challenges, but for BayCare, the distance “makes it more exciting,” she said.

“Having Northwestern as a partner means advancements in science, research and clinical trials can come here, so no patient has to leave Florida,” she said. “It’s a privilege to collaborate with them. They learn from the extraordinary things we’re doing, and we learn from their expertise. I tell my team often: It’s about the art of the possible, thinking bold and thinking big. Partnering with an organization like Northwestern makes that possible.”

In the first phase, the systems are jointly planning education, training and research initiatives and bringing in “luminary” physicians to the team. These initiatives will enhance care, stimulate the local economy and push BayCare’s vision of “from first breath to last breath” care, Ms. Conners said.

The collaboration may have just begun, but both systems are already eyeing new avenues for advancement, including advancing tertiary and quaternary care in Florida. They also are identifying programs BayCare does not have and working with Northwestern to fill the gaps.

“No healthcare system has all the answers, but together we can advance medicine and reimagine what’s possible,” Ms. Conners said. 

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