McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency, McLeod Health Clarendon: Beshoy Benyamen, MD, Beni Suef University Faculty of Medicine, Deepthy Alias, MD, St. George’s University School of Medicine, Colin Henderson, DO, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, Flora Ipaktchian, MD, Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara

McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program, McLeod Regional Medical Center: Richard Gannon, DO, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus, Alondra Gutierrez Ara, MD, Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine, Alexander Manno, DO, Nova Southeastern University Dr Kiran C Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Charles Payne, DO, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus, Colton Putnam, DO, University of Pikeville Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, Zeyn Sparks White, MD, Trinity School of Medicine, Josephine Tai, DO, Campbell University Jerry M Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, Jacob Vining, DO, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolinas Campus, Andrew Westfall, MD, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia.

Dr. Jones is a 2020 graduate of Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM-Carolinas) in Spartanburg, SC. His academics into medical school placed him in the top one percent in every standardized test where any medical field would be available for his career choice. Yet his compassion for people and his extreme desire to help all sorts of everyday folks was confirmed with his VCOM training that led him into a Family Medicine residency.

Dr. Jones is a third-year Family Medicine Resident at the McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program in Florence, SC. He has maintained his leadership skills and community involvement by serving as the PGYII and PGYIII Chief Resident, as well as providing multiple lectures and skills labs for the VCOM Family Medicine Interest group.

While in residency, Dr. Jones furthered his passion for organized medicine by serving in multiple capacities in the South Carolina Medical Association Resident and Fellow Section and currently holds the position of RFS Delegate and Member at Large. He has co-authored multiple resolutions on subjects that include Pharmacy Benefit Manager gag clauses, COMLEX acceptance within SC residencies, and prevention of second-hand smoke exposure in minors.

Dr. Jones has accepted a faculty position at the McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program in Florence, SC. He will continue to provide full-spectrum family medicine, to include OMT, to the Florence community, as well as serve as the Director of Osteopathic Education. To further his dedication to osteopathic medicine, he is perusing both ABMS and AOA board certification.

As Program Director, Dr. Robins will oversee and ensure a learning and working environment conducive to educating residents in Clarendon and Cheraw. She will work collaboratively with Dr. Lisa Heichberger, McLeod Site Director for the Clarendon Rural Residency Program, and Brooke Smith, McLeod Director of Graduate Medical Education, on program and curriculum development.

The Rural Residency’s mission is to graduate skilled physicians who are well-rounded and able to understand and treat the unique conditions of patients within rural and underserved areas. The focus of the residency program includes time spent at the two training hospitals; McLeod Health Clarendon located in Manning, South Carolina and McLeod Health Cheraw located in Cheraw, South Carolina.

Dr. Robins graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed Family Medicine Residency in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She has lived in Chesterfield County for the past 17 years and worked in the community for 12 years before taking a position in 2017 with the McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program in Florence.

In Florence, she served as the Associate Program Director and Clinical Medical Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program. In 2020, she was promoted to Site Director of the Family Medicine Rural Residency Program in Cheraw after working extensively on expanding McLeod’s Graduate Medical Education through a grant McLeod received to support the development and implementation of the Rural Residency Program.

“I am honored to be given the opportunity to help grow and support the McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency Program. With over 20 years of experience in rural areas, I feel I have a good understanding of the challenges that are present in rural medicine. I am committed to providing the best educational experience possible for our residents, so they are well prepared to practice medicine in resource limited areas.”

“I am thrilled to have been afforded the opportunity to pursue lifestyle medicine board certification as well as to offer Lifestyle Medicine within McLeod Family Medicine Residency Curriculum,” said Dr. Heichberger.  “In doing so, upon graduation, the Residents will have completed all prerequisites to sit for Lifestyle Medicine Board Examination. Thus, giving them dual board certification within the confines of their 3-year Family Medicine Residency.”

For more information about lifestyle medicine residency curriculum please visit: lifestylemedicine.org.

After establishing the pharmacy, Dr. Jones realized his passion and calling in life is to teach and returned to McLeod to fulfill that calling. As a PharmD, Dr. Jones’ role will be to offer guidance to the residents regarding medications as care for their patients in McLeod Family Medicine clinics.

“My role has always been to help physicians help their patients,” said Dr. Jones. “Medications can be complicated and physicians in training may need guidance when it comes to managing multiple medications for their patients. My focus will be to enhance pharmaceutical skills for the residents of both McLeod Family Medicine rural training sites in Manning and Cheraw.”

Dr. Jones is Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He also completed a Post Doctorate PharmD Fellowship in Family Medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

They also can help find problems early, when your chances for treatment and cure are better. By getting the right health services, screenings, and treatments, you are taking steps that help your chances for living a longer, healthier life.” Dr. Plunkett also added that cholesterol levels, blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight are just some of the health concerns that need to be monitored by a primary care provider.

Dr. Plunkett grew up in historic Williamsburg, Virginia. He lived and worked in Charlottesville before entering medical school in Charleston, South Carolina. Dr. Plunkett received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He then completed a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

“When searching for a place to begin my career, I wanted to be involved in graduate medical education; to be around young learners with the energy to challenge me to stay current with medical literature, pushing me to be a better physician,” said Dr. Plunkett.

“As I interviewed for the position and got to see all the great things going on at McLeod, I knew McLeod was an organization with a strong mission statement about caring for the people of this region that I was in total agreement with.”

Dr. Plunkett and his wife Lesley reside in Florence. In his spare time Dr. Plunkett enjoys board games, the great outdoors including tubing, white water rafting and camping. His medical interests include behavioral health, preventive medicine, global health, and office-based procedures.

Since 1984, Dr. Howell has been an integral part of the Family Medicine Residency Program at McLeod Regional Medical Center serving as the Director of Geriatric Education. Recently Dr. Howell was named Program Director for the McLeod Family Medicine Rural Residency Program.

The Halford Award is presented to a Family Medicine residency training program faculty member in recognition of outstanding leadership in providing humane education. The award is named for Dr. James Halford, who was the founding director of the AnMed Health Family Medicine Residency Program. Award winners demonstrate a caring attitude and respect for patients, residents and students; value human dignity; demonstrate a passion and joy for teaching, learning and working with others and participating in community service activities.

Medical students Autumn Lupotsky and Matthew Lancaster presented Dr. Alsaka with the O’Neill Barrett Teaching Award during the Medical Staff meeting on June 7. This award is given for outstanding Clinical Science Teaching throughout a student’s four years of medical school. Dr. Alsaka previously received the Teacher of the Year award for 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Dr. Sonfield received the Teacher of the Year Award for the fourth consecutive year. This honor is selected by vote of the medical students pursuing rotations at McLeod Regional Medical Center.

“Since 2017, the USC School of Medicine Regional Campus in Florence has educated between 20 to 30 third and fourth year medical students,” said Dr. Alan Sechtin, Assistant Dean of Medical Education at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Florence Regional Campus. “We consistently receive incredible feedback on our faculty, and our family medicine residents who teach. The time spent teaching, whether on the wards, the operating room, in private offices, or in didactic session is invaluable to the next generation of physicians.

“On behalf of the USC School of Medicine, I can’t thank our faculty enough for what each of them does for our regional campus. I also have to thank the McLeod Health system for its continued support. Without the commitment by McLeod to education in our region, we could not have a regional campus,” added Dr. Sechtin.

In addition to their work with the medical students, Dr. Alsaka and Dr. Sonfield also serve as educators for the McLeod Family Medicine Residents.

“Not only is regular exercise important but so is keeping blood pressure and diabetes under control when it comes to heart disease and stroke,” said Dr. Gerard Jebaily, Program Coordinator, McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program. “Education is key which is why we were excited about partnering with the McLeod Health & Fitness Center on this special day.”

Dr. Jebaily’s award was presented as part of the 2021 Chronic Disease Prevention Symposium. In accepting the award Dr. Jebaily said, “To make this a success has been a partnership. We reach out into the community to provide education, work with our patients to get their blood pressure below 130, and take care of them before they need to go to the hospital. This award is a great honor. I accept this award on behalf of the McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program and McLeod Health.”

Residency is a key component of graduate medical training. It often leads to long working hours with many responsibilities caring for patients both in the clinic and hospital as an integral part of the healthcare team.  Our residents care for patients at McLeod Regional Medical Center, McLeod Health Clarendon, McLeod Health Cheraw, McLeod Family Medicine Center, McLeod Primary Care Clarendon and McLeod Primary Care Cheraw. In addition, they serve as indispensable resources and mentors for medical students who are completing their third and fourth year rotations here in Florence.

“The Residents are an important part of our Medical Staff,” said Dr. Dale Lusk, McLeod Health Executive Medical Officer. “We are grateful for their commitment to patient care, and for their daily dedication in helping McLeod be the Choice for Medical Excellence.”

“Today’s celebration was just a small token of what the residents mean to us,” said Dr. Gerard Jebaily, Program Director, McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program. “I have been working with the residents for almost forty years and throughout that time what has never changed it the spirit of the value of what it means to be a resident.”

“The dental team is excited to be a part of the McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program,” said Jamie Y. Driggers, DMD, Director of Oral Health Integration, McLeod Family Medicine Residency Program. “We strive to embody true integration of dental health into medical health with our role in the center and curriculum. Our goal is not only to provide enhanced oral health education to the residents that they can carry with them into practice, but to also be available for them and their family’s dental health needs.”

Board Certified in Family Medicine, Dr. Cribb provides primary care for men, women, and children and enjoys forging relationships with the patients she serves. “I enjoy the complexity of caring for people of all ages, and everyday being different in primary care,’ said Dr. Roberts.

A native of Georgetown, South Carolina and a graduate of the McLeod Family Medicine Residency program, Dr. Roberts received her medical degree from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia.