The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education granted accreditation to Fresno, Calif.-based Saint Agnes Medical Center's internal medicine residency program Sept. 21, according to The Madera Tribune.
The program will begin July 2018. Hospital officials will begin selecting candidates for the program in October, the report states.
The three-year program will comprise an estimated 40 residents, though the ACGME accredited the program to accommodate up to 120 residents, according to the hospital's website. Officials said the hospital is in talks to create residency programs for several other specialties, including family practice and emergency medicine.
"This is an exciting milestone for Saint Agnes and also has positive implications for our community," Nancy Hollingsworth, RN, Saint Agnes Medical Center president and CEO, told The Madera Tribune. "As a teaching hospital, Saint Agnes will have an even greater opportunity to attract and cultivate new physicians, in order to improve access to care and better serve our Valley's growing population."