Sierra view medical center internal medicine residency

Abbas Hasnain, M.D., J.D.

Internal Medicine Primary Medical Director

Originally from Porterville, California, Abbas Hasnain, M.D., J.D., is a well-trusted and highly-trained internal medicine physician serving the southern San Joaquin Valley. Dr. Hasnain, or “Dr. H” to his patients, provides up to date medical care for his local community and feels grateful doing so.

Dr. Hasnain attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Biology. Dr. Hasnain went on to earn his law degree at the Trinity School of Law in Orange County, California. Dr. Hasnain worked briefly as a law clerk before deciding to continue his education by attending medical school at the UAG/New York Medical College MD Program.

He completed a pre-internship program at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York, before moving on to the University of California, San Francisco, Fresno Program, to complete his residency training in internal medicine. Dr. Hasnain also gained valuable experience working in a Level 1 trauma center at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno and the VA Hospital of Central California.

Dr. Hasnain is a member of the American College of Physicians, California Association of Long Term Care Medicine, & Tulare County Medical Society. Throughout his education, Dr. Hasnain published numerous research articles on a wide range of conditions. Dr Hasnain continues to practice inpatient medicine at local hospitals in the area and is also the medical director for various Hospice and rehabilitation facilities.
Dr. Hasnain speaks fluent English, Punjabi, and Spanish.

PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT

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Sierra View Medical Center

465 W Putnam Ave
Porterville, CA 93257

An historical moment for Sierra View Medical Center happened when the inaugural cohort of Sierra View Medical Center’s accredited and community based Internal Medicine Residency Program officially began in July.

“This is a legacy program that was developed with a goal to provide a succession plan for the medical staff of the Sierra View Local Healthcare District and the Central Valley region,” said vice president of Patient Care Services & Chief Nurse Executive and Chief Academic Officer & Founding Designated Institutional Officer, Dr. Jeffery Hudson-Covolo, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. “This is an opportunity for those that have completed medical school and grew up in the local and regional area, to complete their internal medicine residency program in their own community. For those residents that come from other parts of the United States and globally, this program gives them the ability to be exposed to the Central Valley where they may choose to remain after completing their three-year residency program.”

 The Sierra View Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Program, offered through the Graduate Medical Education Program, was initially accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) in September 2020. Shortly after the program was accredited, the application process of finding the first cohort began and nearly 1,500 applications were received. From there, the process of ranking candidates for the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) took place and results were given in March. By the end of June, 16 residentswere chosen and they began the program in July.

 Residents will spend much of their time over the three years working on the medical floors with internists, hospitalists, intensivists, and other sub-specialists. Residents will do rotations in the major internal medicine sub-specialties both in the hospital and in private local offices.

They will also spend much of their time with primary care experience in an outpatient setting. Residents will also participate in quality improvement projects during their residency, as well as a month of Emergency Medicine working in the Sierra View Emergency Department and spend some time on projects involving personal interest.

Sierra View Internal Medicine Residency Program Director, Dr. Paul Watanakunakorn MD, explains the residency training enables residents to translate the knowledge they have gained through medical school and put it into practical application, all while enriching they community and the future of healthcare in this region.

 “The needs of this community are so great, and the opportunities to improve the health outcomes and enrich the lives of this community are tremendous,” adds Watanakunakorn. “I hope that the residency program will truly be an asset to this area in such a way that improves the health of the community; and not by just training future physicians to practice here, but also by connecting with the community and providing access points to healthcare needs.”

 Hudson-Covolo gave accolades to the medical staff, Sierra View Local Health Care District Board of Directors, hospital administrators, healthcare business partners, and the community, for supporting the vision and complexity of adding academic rigor to the community hospital setting.

Watanakunakorn agreed and added, “The support here amongst the administration and the hospital staff has been tremendous, and I think they both shared my eager anticipation of this becoming a reality. It is humbling that I have been able to be a part of the legacy; and being a part of the start of medical education and residency training at Sierra View Medical Center; and of what that can mean for the future health of this community.”

By 2023, there will be 36 internal medicine and four transition year residents in the program. For additional information about Sierra View’s GME Program, visit https://www.sierra-view.com/gme-program/.