As part of the larger Providence Health and Services (PHS) system, Providence Medical Group – Oregon (PMG) adheres to the PHS 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. Additionally, the core values of PHS are Compassion, Dignity, Justice, Excellence, and Integrity also apply to PMG. The aims of the psychology residency program fit well within the holistic notion of healing communicated by the PHS mission statement. The emphasis on care for poor and vulnerable people compliments the program emphasis on training residents to serve a diverse range of clients regardless of their life circumstance. As an early adopter of behavioral health integration, PMG began the process of embedding psychologists in primary care over 10 years ago.
The postdoctoral program is administered through the Department of Psychology within Providence Medical Group. The Department of Psychology is headed by the Behavioral Health Chief Executive, Robin Henderson, PsyD who is responsible for oversight of behavioral health integration services in the PMG clinics throughout Oregon. Teresa Davigo, PhD is the Training Director for PMG and is responsible for the overall administration, provision of supervision/training, selection, placement, and curriculum for psychology postdoctoral trainees.
Residents are placed in PMG primary care clinics in the greater Portland metropolitan area and small communities outside of the metro area. The administrative, staffing, and operational structure of the 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. Consistent with the Providence Health System mission, PMG clinics place an emphasis on caring for the poor and vulnerable in their communities. PMG clinics serve patients with Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance as well as patients without healthcare insurance coverage. The services provided by residents afford them the opportunity to develop specialized assessment, intervention, consultation skills in integrated care settings. Residents are considered valued members of the multidisciplinary care team.
The diverse patient populations served by the PMG clinics provide a rich service delivery experience for the residents. PMG operates over 50 primary care clinics throughout Oregon and SW Washington and those clinics have adopted the Patient Centered Medical Home model – a component of which is the integration of behavioral health services. The clinics are well staffed with multidisciplinary teams of health care providers and support staff. The diverse staff provides the resident with opportunities for case consultation, staff education, and program development. Residents also have the opportunity for mentoring to and from other healthcare professionals. Providence Health Systems patient care facilities utilize the EPIC electronic health record system.
