Rural Track Residents Graduate

June 29, 2019, Alamosa, Colorado - The Alamosa Rural Training Track Residency Program had its first graduation ceremony Saturday, June 29, 2019, at Adams State University’s Vistas Restaurant in Alamosa, Colorado. The event was a great success with attendance from program faculty, Valley-Wide and SLV Health administration and specialist preceptors. Kelly Gallegos, SLV Administrator, congratulated and acknowledged the graduating residents, Rabaiya Ali, MD and Nataliia Baker, MD.

Dr. Carissa Tripi, Orthopedic Surgeon for San Luis Valley Health was selected as the residents’ Preceptor of the Year. “Our Rural Track residents work with some of the best providers from Valley-Wide and SLV Health, so I consider it a great honor to be recognized among them. Precepting residents can be challenging because you have to balance taking time to teach while continuing to give your patients all the time they need during their visit, but the overwhelming benefit is that it keeps us physicians who have been out of training for a while on our toes. We have to know what the latest data and literature suggests in terms of diagnosis and treatment in order to properly train the residents so that they are as up to date as possible when they graduate. Together, we make each other better and this will continue to raise the bar for the quality of healthcare in the San Luis Valley.” Carissa Tripi, DO, Orthopedics, San Luis Valley.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. Ali and Dr. Baker. Dr. Ali’s friendly demeanor and wiliness to work and learn will bode her well in the future. Dr. Baker’s work ethic will open many doors for her,” commented Clint Sowards, D.O., Antonito Clinic, SLV Health.

“Congratulations to Drs. Baker and Ali as they begin the next step in their medical careers. This is a great milestone to complete. We appreciate their time and the compassion that they gave to the patients of the San Luis Valley,” added Carmelo A. Hernandez MD, Chief Medical Officer, San Luis Valley Health. Dr. Ali has joined Presbyterian Medical Group Family Practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Baker has joined the University of Colorado Health Family Medicine in Windsor, CO.

Left to Right: Dr. Nataliia Baker; Dr. Tammy Gregg, Site Director; Dr. Rabaiya Ali, Dr. Lloyd, Program Director; and Dr. Pfaffly, Program Behavioral Health Faculty.

Thanks to Debbie Christensen and Tara Bolt from Valley-Wide for contributing to this article.