NEENAH (WLUK) — A new era begins at ThedaCare as it welcomes its first class of Internal Medicine residents to its Graduate Medical Education (GME) program.
The inaugural residents were selected from nearly 2,000 applicants and will complete their residency training across ThedaCare’s sites throughout the region.
In addition to welcoming new physicians, ThedaCare cut the ribbon on its completed resident townhomes for its physicians Wednesday.
About 28 townhouses were built at the corner of 1st Street and E. Forest Avenue, adjacent to ThedaCare Medical Center-Neenah. The townhouses serve as on-campus housing for medical school graduates completing their residency.
The townhomes provide an affordable and convenient place for resident physicians to live while making them more likely to stay in the community once their residency is complete. Studies show nearly 55% of individuals who complete residency training remain in the community in which they train to practice medicine. Further, 70% of physicians stay in the state when they complete both their GME and residency in the same state.
The second phase of the construction project will start in the fall to create more resident housing. That phase consists of two buildings and 28 units being built on the east half of the property.
ThedaCare became one of the first health systems in northeast and central Wisconsin to establish a residency program, receiving accreditation for its Internal Medicine Residency Program in September 2025.
Data from the Wisconsin Hospital Association shows Wisconsin needs between 2,000 and 4,000 additional physicians by 2035.
Comment with Bubbles
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (2)
The program was developed to help address physician shortages, particularly in rural and underserved communities, while creating opportunities for physicians to train and build careers close to home.