The Family Practice Center (FPC) serves as the focal point and the central ambulatory training site for the residency program. In August, 1998, we moved to a new facility located on hospital grounds, the Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center. The FPC has a total of 25 exam rooms so that two rooms are available to each resident while seeing patients. The FPC also includes a special procedures room, two counseling rooms, a resident workroom and library, a laboratory, a patient education center and nursing stations. Several of the rooms are equipped with video taping capability. In addition to the Family Practice Center, the Ambulatory Care Center houses cardiac rehabilitation, EEG, neurology, neurosurgery, urology, vascular lab, nuclear medicine, occupational therapy, physical therapy, geriatrics, dermatology, OB/Gyn, ophthalmology, orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and pain clinics.

Residents average one half-day family practice clinic a week in their first year, increasing to two clinics a week in the second year and three clinics in the third year. During certain rotations and electives in the second and third year, the number of clinics may increase to four to five a week. Residents see approximately three-four patients per clinic in the first year, six-eight patients per clinic in the second year and eight-eleven patients per clinic in the third year. Over the three years, residents see 1,650 patient visits. Initially, new residents start with a panel of patients referred from graduating residents' practices and are then augmented by new patients coming to the clinic, new family members, etc. Typically, residents follow 10-15 pregnant women during their training with some following many more because of a special interest in obstetrics.

Our patient population is varied and diverse. We have a good mixture of patients of all ages; approximately 16% are under 16 years old, 46% are from 16-40 years old, 21% are from 40 - 64 years old, and 18% are 65 or older. The racial and ethnic make-up of our patients is mixed and interesting: 40% white, 30% Hispanic, 20% African-American, 8% Asian, and 2% other. Included in the caucasian grouping is a large number of recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union. The majority of Asians are from Laos and Cambodia. A significant number of our patients do not speak English but bring family members who do. Excellent translators are available through the hospital, if necessary. Our patients come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds; approximately half receive Medicaid support.

In addition to regular resident continuity clinics, the family practice center also offers some family practice specialty clinics. These include a geriatric assessment clinic, behavioral medicine clinics, a perinatal clinic, a GYN procedures clinic, minor procedures clinic (flexible sigmoidoscopy, colposcopy, Norplant insertion, "lumps and bumps," etc), teen OB clinic, chronic illness management clinic, workers comp clinic and falls clinic.

The Department of Family and Community Medicine sponsors a large, nationally-known Family Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Training Program. Faculty from this program also work in the Family Practice Center and give the residents the opportunity to learn more about the team approach to health care.