We thank the editorial and news staffs of Wednesday Journal and the Austin Weekly News for their ongoing diligent reporting on the devastating crisis in the making at West Suburban Hospital because of the hospital’s revoked accreditation as the sponsoring institution for the family medicine residency program.
Not only will the community lose the comprehensive primary care provided by the residents at the hospital and affiliated clinics, but the strongest pathway of future family physicians from the residency program to this underserved community will disappear as well.
On behalf of the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP), we stand in solidarity with the 20 family medicine residents from West Suburban Medical Center, who chose a mission to care for underserved communities in Illinois, only to now face uncertainty in their training and careers.
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) revoked West Suburban’s institutional accreditation, leaving 10 first-year and 10 second-year residents scrambling to secure placements at other accredited institutions. These physicians now face immense challenges in continuing their training, advancing their careers, and maintaining their commitment to caring for those most in need.
Despite hardships they did not create, these residents remain willing to relocate, adapt, and persevere. However, without support, some may be forced to restart their training, leave Illinois, or even change specialties, causing delays that could limit the availability of skilled, compassionate family physicians in the very communities that rely on them.
The loss of West Suburban’s family residency program is a significant setback, particularly in a state that already struggles to recruit and retain family physicians, especially in underserved areas. Residents who train at community hospitals like West Suburban are among the most likely to stay and practice in these communities. If these physicians cannot complete their training in Illinois due to institutional failures, it is the patients, especially the most vulnerable, who will bear the greatest burden.
Throughout this crisis, IAFP continues to call on West Suburban Medical Center (WSMC) to provide transparency regarding residency funding. Like most residency programs, funding for the West Suburban residency is provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. If West Suburban does not transition the residency funding to new programs the displaced residents are able to find, we call on West Suburban to explain their rationale and provide other support to assist residents in this transition — perhaps offer displaced residents a travel stipend for interviews with new programs.
IAFP has also urged family medicine residency programs across Illinois to consider these displaced residents and, if possible, find ways to integrate them — even if it means stretching resources temporarily. The long-term impact of such an investment will be invaluable to both the residents and the communities they will serve. Even offering a single Illinois residency placement can be a lifeline for these future physicians while reinforcing the core values of medical education, equity, and service.
The evidence is clear: studies have shown that more than half of physicians practice in the state where they trained.
To the West Suburban resident physicians facing this crisis: your success is a success for all of Illinois. Your family physician colleagues stand with you and want to see you complete your training in Illinois — because your presence, your care, and your dedication to your communities are vital. The future of family medicine depends on you and your colleagues in residencies across Illinois. You are needed, and we will continue to fight for you.
Link to most recent coverage https://www.austinweeklynews.com/2025/03/10/west-sub-appeals-revoked-accreditation-residents-remain-in-limbo/
Kate Rowland MD, FAAFP
President, Illinois Academy of Family Physicians
