Family and Community Medicine

A well-established and mission-driven training program, the Cook County Family Medicine Residency prepares physicians to serve and help lead comprehensive primary care services, especially for underserved populations.

Resident physicians gain experience and develop expertise in the post-Affordable Care Act, safety-net health care environment.

As the role of the family medicine physician continues to expand, we not only equip our residents with the skills they need to care for families in largely underserved, urban communities, but also empower them for leadership roles in clinics, hospitals and health systems. 

Our program extends beyond the clinical management of individuals across the life cycle, with exposure to population health management, public health and performance improvement in complex health care organizations. Training occurs at patient-centered primary care medical homes with residents sited at one of our three community-based teaching health centers that primarily serve minority populations, including Jorge Prieto Health Center,  Englewood Health Center and at  John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, augmented by educational experiences at Cook County Health and affiliated settings including Cermak Correctional Health Services, Cook County Department of Public Health and La Rabida Children’s Hospital.

The Department of Family and Community Medicine is actively addressing health disparities across the Cook County Health system. We provide primary care to families at eight community–based primary care medical homes, our large adult medicine inpatient service includes four teams, and we offer a new and innovative maternal-child inpatient service. Department faculty serve in a variety of leadership roles at the local, regional and national level. Our team is actively involved in: 

  • Collaboration and innovation with other departments, specialties, organizations and of course our communities;
  • Medical education, research and scholarship aimed at reducing health disparities; and 
  • Medical home team care and practice transformation.

The Department’s vision is inspired by the aligned strategic objectives for Cook County Health over the next three years: 

  • Achieve Health Equity 
  • Demonstrate Value 
  • Medical Education and Research  
  • Quality and Safety
  • Workforce 
  • Alexandra Albanese, MD, MPH
  • Priscilla Auguston, MD,
  • Nicole Baltrushes-Hughes, MD
  • Camille Billingslea, MD, MPH
  • Andrew Birkhead, MD
  • Sully Cardona, MD
  • Charles Edoigiawerie, MD, MPH
  • Gail Y. Floyd, MD
  • Ayodeji Gbotosho, MD
  • Chukwueloka Ikedionwu, MD
  • Mark Loafman, MD, MPH
  • Whitney Lyn, MD
  • Nathalie McCammon-Chase, MD
  • Julita McPherson, MD, MPH
  • Lucy Munoz-Medina, MD 
  • Daniel Murphy, DO
  • Juleigh Nowinski Konchak, MD
  • Vimarie Rodriguez, MD
  • Jeff Rosenblatt, DO
  • Thomas Sweder, MD
  • Shantay Thomas, MD, MPH
  • Hector Vydas, MD
  • Philip Wong, MD
  • Aisha Wright, MD
  • Hanna Xu, MD 

Welcome from the Department Chairman

The Department of Family and Community Medicine at Cook County Health  is actively engaged in addressing health disparities for the vulnerable populations we serve.
 Uniquely positioned in clinical and leadership roles across our large public health system, Family Physicians are making a positive impact on our patients and their families, our workforce and on our health system. 
  • We work with patients across the entire life cycle, with amazing levels of collaboration with other departments and clinical program areas who view Family Physicians as allies in a shared service-oriented mission. 
  • We work in a diverse array of medical home clinics across the County where we care for families by providing the full spectrum of clinical services. 
  • We work in John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital on Family Medicine adult inpatient and Maternal Child Health teaching services, alongside legendary specialty services led by senior pioneers and young physician leaders. 
  • We work in all of these settings with behavioral health providers, care coordinators, clinical pharmacists and community health workers to address physical, social and psychological needs. 
The  department is helping the health system on a transformational journey, emphasizing community–based and preventive primary care, while continuing to optimize the world-class acute hospital services we have always been known for. The opportunity for family medicine to serve a leadership role in one of the nation’s largest fully integrated public health systems is exciting and inspiring. Our department’s educational, academic research and clinical practice priorities are laser focused on succeeding in this role. Bringing health equity to those most in need. 
Mark Loafman, MD, MPH 
Department Chairman 
Family and Community Medicine 

Welcome from the Program Director

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in the Cook County Family Medicine Residency Program.
This program has proud tradition of caring for the poor and medically underserved regardless of their ability to pay, national origin, or primary language. Our residents and faculty are advocates for our patients, helping them to access quality health care services. 
The Cook County Family Medicine Residency Program provides residents with a comprehensive, fascinating and diverse training experience. Rotations are designed to facilitate learning in a community setting, while having access to the latest medical technology at two well-known medical centers. You will experience a mixture of a busy medical center with many other residents to an unopposed environment with one–to–one precepting. The Family Medicine Centers are the main activity sites for training, but residents provide continuity of care to patients as well in the hospital and residential settings, coordinating care plans that involve multidisciplinary services and teams. The community medicine programs give residents access to young people with the goal of early intervention and illness prevention. 
We have a diverse faculty with many areas of expertise and experience, all enthusiastic about teaching and mentoring. 
There are many exciting opportunities in family medicine for graduate physicians in medical practice, research, administration and academic medicine. The health care challenges of today and the future await dedicated and innovative leaders; the goal of the Cook County Family Medicine Residency Program is to train our residents to become those leaders. We invite you to apply and look forward to hearing from you soon! 
Best Wishes, 
Gail Y. Floyd, MD
Program Director, Cook County Family Medicine Residency Program 

Application

Welcome to our Family Medicine Residency Program.

Please take a moment to review the below guidelines to facilitate your application process.

  • We start our interview season in October and continue through January.
  • It is preferred that your graduation date from medical school is within the last 3 years.
  • Applicants from international medical schools, please make sure to obtain your  ECFMG  certification before the submission of the NRMP  match.
Our selective Admissions Review Committee reviews each application on an individual basis. We receive over 1,000 applications each year for our program. Due to the vast number of applications, we may not always be able to respond to email and phone status requests. If an interview is to be granted, you will receive an email communication from our program.

For additional information, contact:

Monica Rubio
Residency Coordinator
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
Professional Building
1950 W. Polk St., 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 864-2855
mrubio@cookcountyhhs.org

Curriculum

PG 1 YEAR
  • 4 Rotation Blocks of Family Medicine Inpatient Service
  • 1 Rotation Block of Pediatric Wards
  • 1 Rotation Block – Newborn Nursery
  • 1 Rotation Block – Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • 1 Rotation Block – Labor & Delivery
  • 1 Rotation Block – Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU)
  • 1 Rotation Block – Addiction Medicine
  • 1 Rotation Block – General Surgery & Subspecialty Surgery (Breast/Bariatric/Wound)
  • 2 Weeks – Integrated Behavioral Medicine
  • 2 Weeks – Outpatient Gynecology / Reproductive Health
  • 4 Weeks of Vacation
PG 2 YEAR
  • 1 Rotation Block – Sports Medicine
  • 2 Weeks – Adolescent Medicine
  • 2 Weeks – Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • 2 Weeks – Addiction Medicine
  • 14 Weeks – Electives
  • 4 Weeks of Vacation
PG 3 YEAR
  • 2 Rotation Blocks of Family Medicine Inpatient Service
  • 4 Weeks of Night Float on Family Medicine Inpatient Service
  • 1 Rotation Block – Adult Emergency Medicine
  • 1 Rotation Block – Orthopedics / Musculoskeletal
  • 1 Rotation Block – Pediatric Urgent Care
  • 2 Weeks – Integrated Behavioral Medicine
  • 2 Weeks – Outpatient Gynecology / Reproductive Health
  • 4 Weeks – Primary Care Urology / Correctional Health
  • 16 Weeks – Electives
  • 4 Weeks of Vacation

Benefits

Vacation Leave:
28 days or four weeks of vacation is given to all housestaff, which can be taken in (2) two week increments or (1) four week block rotation.

Maternity/Paternity Leave:
Housestaff physicians shall be granted maternity and paternity leave to cover periods of pregnancy, newborn childcare, and/or newly adopted childcare.

Family & Medical Leave (FMLA):
An eligible employee may take approved unpaid family and medical leave of up to twelve (12) weeks per rolling twelve (12) month period. For specifics you should contact your Departmental Administrator, the Department of Human Resources or Medical Education.

Cafeteria:
Housestaff at Cook County Health are provided with a meal card which is loaded with $19/day.  The card can be used at any time during cafeteria opening hours, every day of the week.

Counseling Services:
Counseling services are available through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) of Cook County.

Lab Coats:
At the time of initial hire, housestaff physicians will be furnished up to four (4) lab coats free of charge. During their employment, replacements will be furnished free of charge when the condition of the lab coat so warrants.

Malpractice Insurance:
Covered at 100%.

Health and Disability Insurance:
The County provides health benefits to housestaff physicians and dependents. The County offers to the housestaff physician and his/her family the option of choosing a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or Preferred Provider Organization PPO from those available and federally qualified in the Chicago area for this health coverage. Ordinary disability benefits will be provided in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Cook County Employees’ Annuity Benefit Fund.

Dental Insurance:
All housestaff are eligible to participate in the County’s Dental HMO plan. There is no cost for this benefit.

Life Insurance:
All housestaff physicians shall be provided with life insurance in an amount equal to their annual salary at no cost to the housestaff physician.


Housestaff Association:
The Cook County Hospital Housestaff Association (HSA) is the union representing interns, residents and fellows employed by the Hospital. It has existed as the housestaff physicians’ organization for many years and as a union since the early 1970s.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply to the residency program? 
The Cook County Family Medicine Residency Program only accepts applications through the  Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). 

How many residents are currently in the program? 
Currently there are 36 residents in the program. We have twelve intern positions available per year. 

At which of the three Family Medicine Centers will I see my continuity patients? 
Clinic selection is determined during orientation. A mutual decision is reached between the residents and faculty. Those applicants with Spanish competency will be given preferential placement at  Jorge Prieto Health Center. 

Where should I consider my home base? 
Residents will be assigned a Family Medicine Center, which is considered their home base. 

How often will I be on call? 
The call schedule is dependent upon the block rotation. Some rotations do not require residents to be on call. The program strictly adheres to the resident work duty hour rules as outlined by the ACGME. 

What are your criteria for matching applicants? 
There is a selection committee that includes faculty and resident representatives. All components of the application, personal statement and interview are used in the decision. 

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