01/09/19  Portland, Ore.

As of January, 2019, Joe Skariah, D.O., M.P.H., has officially stepped into the Director role of OHSU Family Medicine's Portland residency program. Dr. Skariah replaces Roger Garvin, M.D., who served as the program's director for 11 years and will continue with the department as the Director of Family Medicine Graduate Medical Education Outreach and Expansion.

OHSU Family Medicine's Portland residency program is one of a small handful of family medicine residencies in the country that last four years rather than three. "We've realized that there's more to being a family physician today than we've been preparing for traditionally," explains Dr. Skariah. "The healthcare landscape is constantly changing and we need to have physicians with unique skills in leadership and population management." For this reason, the residency program is both longer and highly customizable, "allowing learners to create an experience that's all about the provider they want to be in the future."

"I think we have the premiere residency program in the country," said Dr. Skariah, "so when the opportunity came to lead the program, I wanted to jump right in!" When informed of his selection, Dr. Skariah felt "incredibly honored."

Dr. Skariah has been a member of OHSU Family Medicine's faculty since 2012. In 2014, he became the Medical Director of Family Medicine at Scappoose as well as an Associate Residency Director for the Portland residency. In addition to maintaining a full-scope family medicine practice, Dr. Skariah completed a fellowship with the National Institute for Program Director Development (NIPPD) through the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) in 2016.

"We look forward to having Dr. Skariah lead our Portland residency into the next decade," wrote Jennifer DeVoe, M.D., D.Phil., OHSU Family Medicine Department Chair in an email announcing the transition, "as we continue to pursue new opportunities in graduate medical education."

Photo: Joe Skariah, D.O., M.P.H.