Memorial Welcomes New Medical Residents at White Coat Ceremony
GULFPORT, Miss. – June 29, 2023 – Memorial Health System welcomed 17 new medical residents to its Graduate Medical Education (GME) program during its White Coat Ceremony held on June 28 in Gulfport. The ceremony is a rite of passage to emphasize the importance of compassionate patient care at the very start of training.
This ceremony celebrates the third class of Family Medicine residents and the inaugural class of Internal Medicine residents for the program, aimed to train and graduate well-balanced, compassionate physicians who are willing and dedicated to practice the highest level of medicine.
Family Medicine residents include:
- Dr. Ornella Saborido Battaglia
- Dr. Heriberto Casanova, Jr.
- Dr. Alex Cole
- Dr. Hunter Cooper
- Dr. Shawn Friedland
- Dr. Charles Furlan, Jr.
- Dr. Giannina Rodriguez-Golderos
- Dr. Abraham Gobel
- Dr. Sana Jaffery
- Dr. Kyle Strickland
- Dr. Praseeda Akella
The inaugural class of Internal Medicine residents includes:
- Dr. Rahila Ali
- Dr. Taylor Brewer
- Dr. Bolos Gerges
- Dr. Ryan Moses
- Dr. Ansh Purohit
- Dr. Deepak Raj
With the addition of these classes, Memorial now boasts 36 medical residents. There is a significant economic impact to sponsoring a residency program, including job creation, stronger hospitals, and research.
“We are excited to welcome our third class of Family Medicine residents and our inaugural class of Internal Medicine residents to Memorial Health System and the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” says Dr. Gretchen Holmes, Memorial GME Designated Institutional Official. She continues, “We have a talented group of residents joining us who are looking forward to becoming part of our community.”
Memorial Health System has been the premier medical center for the Mississippi Gulf Coast for more than 75 years, with over 300 physicians on its medical staff. Specialty providers offer comprehensive, progressive services and care to a thriving community. Memorial was named the best regional hospital in Coastal Region for 2022-23 in the annual ranking of hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
Residents will begin rotations on July 1, 2023. For more information, visit www.gme.wearememorial.com.
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ABOUT MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM
Memorial Health System has been serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1946. Located in Gulfport, Mississippi, Memorial is a not-for-profit medical complex jointly owned by the City of Gulfport and Harrison County. The Memorial footprint includes multiple hospitals licensed for 328 beds, a state-designated Level II Trauma Center, two nursing centers, three outpatient surgery centers, satellite outpatient diagnostic and rehabilitation centers, and more than 110 Memorial Physician Clinics. Memorial offers several of the region’s most comprehensive clinical programs and medical specialties unique to the area, including a Level III Neonatal ICU and Mississippi’s first nationally certified Primary Stroke Center. Visit wearememorial.com to learn more.