2 new chief residents welcomed at YRMC

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Regional Medical Center (YRMC) welcomes two new chief residents, Drs. Kristianne Amurao and Michael McCullagh for the 2022-23 academic year.

YRMC Family & Community Medicine Residency Program say they bring in two chief residents every spring as they transition into their third and final year of training.

Being a chief resident comes with great responsibility due to the leadership roles and commitments they take on in the clinic and hospital settings.

“I want to thank Dr. Silas Wiefelspuett and Dr. Matthew Bishop for fulfilling the chief resident role over the past 12 months,” said Dr. Kristina Diaz, Chief Academic Officer and Residency Program Director. “I would also like to congratulate Dr. McCullagh and Dr. Amurao on being selected by their peers to serve as the next chief residents.”

Dr. Amurao comes from northern California and went to medical school at Ross University School of Medicine.

Dr. McCullagh is from Ottawa, Canada, and attended the University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts and Nevis for his medical degree.

YRMC says the Yuma-based residency program has carried on with benefitting locals due to the high numbers of patients each month at the clinic, ultimately relieving the primary care shortage in Yuma.

They also say the chief residents continue to stay hands-on with both inpatient and outpatient COVID care.

A total of 12 graduates from the YRMC Community & Family Medicine Residency have stayed at YRMC to continue their work.