Providence Medical Group (PMG) is a division of Providence St. Joseph Healthcare Services (PJHS) system. PJHS is a not-for-profit network of hospitals, health plans, clinics, home health services, and affiliated health services. PMG is committed to the PJHS mission, which states: “As expression of God's healing love, witnessed through the healing ministry of Jesus, we are steadfast in serving all, especially those who are poor and vulnerable.” The emphasis on care for the poor and vulnerable compliments the program’s emphasis on training interns to serve a diverse range of patients regardless of their life circumstance.
PMG operates over 70 primary care clinics throughout the State of Oregon. The primary care clinics have adopted the Patient Centered Medical Home model - a component of which is the integration of behavioral health services. As an early adopter of behavioral health integration, PMG began the process of incorporating psychologists in primary care over 10 years ago.
The pre-doctoral program is administered through the Department of Psychology within Providence Medical Group. The Department of Psychology is headed by the Regional Director of Behavioral Health Integration and Specialty Clinics. The Regional Director is responsible for the provision of behavioral integration services in the PMG clinics throughout Oregon. The Internship Training Director is responsible for the overall administration, provision of supervision/training, selection, placement, and curriculum for psychology postdoctoral trainees. Interns are placed in PMG primary care in the greater Portland metropolitan area and small communities outside of the metro area.
The administrative, staffing, and operational structure of the PMG primary care clinics are all similar. The patient populations are representative of the general population of the communities where they are located and represent a wide demographic and diagnostic range. The diverse primary care patient populations served by the PMG primary care clinics provide a rich service delivery experience. The diverse staff provide the intern with opportunities for case consultation, staff education, and program development. Interns will also supervise practicum level students, receive comprehensive ADHD assessment didactics, complete two assessments, and participate in DEI dialogues. Providence's patient care facilities utilize the EPIC electronic health record system.
PMG has locations throughout Oregon and SW Washington, many of them centered around the greater Portland Metro area. Intern site placements have ranged from urban clinics within the city, suburban clinics in the metro area, and rural clinics in Willamette Valley wine country. Each year, the Training Committee intentionally selects placement sites and supervisors. Before the year begins, the Training Director provides incoming interns with clinic placement options, with supervisor bios, and they will rank them from most to least interest. Interns will be matched with one of the four sites prior to moving, as a way to support everyone selecting housing that is close to their site (where possible).
Portland is Oregon’s largest city and cultural center with a current metro area population of 2.5 million! The city is always abuzz with seasonal events, performances, and community activities (see Hey Portland). Portland views itself as a “foodie” city with a variety of coffee shops, weekend farmers markets, and restaurant options (see EATER PDX). For the explorers out there, Mount Hood is approximately one hour east of the city, while the Oregon coast is around an hour west. There are more than 279 parks and natural areas around Portland, including one of the largest urban forests in the United States: Forest Park.
