MCR Health launches first podiatry residency program

MCR Health marked the start of its inaugural Podiatry Residency Program with a June 29 welcome dinner in Bradenton, Florida, and the first residents began training July 1. The program expands graduate medical education in Southwest Florida and is designed to strengthen the regional podiatry workforce.

Why it matters: - The new residency program adds graduate medical education capacity in Southwest Florida. - The program is designed to train future podiatric physicians in community-based care. - MCR Health says the effort supports long-term access to specialty care and helps address physician shortages.

What happened: - MCR Health celebrated the launch of its inaugural Podiatry Residency Program at a Welcome Dinner on June 29 in Bradenton, Florida. - The first class of residents began training on July 1. - The inaugural residents are Dr. Juleona Villaneuva, Dr. Rachel May Philip, and Dr. Kush Jani. - The program brings together MCR Health, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Podiatric Medicine, Manatee Memorial Hospital, HCA Florida Blake Hospital, and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center.

The details: - Residents will train across outpatient, inpatient, and surgical settings. - The residency is built to expand access to high-quality podiatric care across the region. - MCR Health is among a select group of Federally Qualified Health Centers nationwide that sponsor a surgical residency program. - The program was led by MCR Health’s Graduate Medical Education team, including Dr. Monica Rider, Sharon Hong, and Dr. Chrisbel Dafeamekpor. - The June 29 event brought together physicians, healthcare executives, board members, faculty, community leaders, and partners. - MCR Health provides primary, specialty, behavioral health, pharmacy, and community-based care across Manatee, Sarasota, and DeSoto counties through more than 25 health centers, specialty practices, pharmacies, mobile care units, and graduate medical education programs.

Between the lines: - The partnership links community health centers, an academic medical institution, and hospital systems in one training pipeline. - The structure signals a broader effort to build a local workforce instead of relying only on traditional academic medical centers. - Dr. Monica Rider said the collaboration combines community-based care, academic excellence, and hospital-based clinical training. - Manatee Memorial Hospital Interim CEO Colin Weaver said the program reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the regional healthcare workforce and expanding specialty care.

What's next: - The residents will continue training alongside experienced physicians and multidisciplinary care teams. - The partnership is expected to support future podiatric care delivery across the communities served by MCR Health and its clinical partners. - Leaders said the program is intended to help ensure continued access to healthcare in Southwest Florida for years to come.

The bottom line: - MCR Health’s first podiatry residency marks a rare FQHC-led surgical training program and a new pipeline for specialty physicians in Southwest Florida.