As leaders of the healthcare community, it is essential that we play an active role in the never-ending effort to improve the care of our patients. By encouraging residents to become involved in quality improvement projects, research and advocacy work during their training, we can endow them with the motivation and skills needed to carry out such efforts in their future practice. 

Engaging with our Community

Face to Face clinical care

Face to Face is the only organization in Ramsey County providing an array of services directed to youth (ages 11-24) needs.  At Face to Face, St John's residents provide healthcare to local youth, including screening and treatment for STIs, testing for HIV,  providing birth control, and prenatal care. General medical care is also offered. 

Walk with a Doc

The goal of this program is to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space where patients, families, and East St Paul Community members can be physically active, connect with family medicine physicians and clinic team members, ask questions about their health, and get to know one another.  The walkers and rollers meet every other Thursday from 12:30 to 1:30, walking the mile-long path around Ames Lake.  The paved pathway promotes full inclusivity for those utilizing walkers, wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Walk with a Doc is a collaboration with the nearby Elders Lodge.

Veggie Rx

Veggie Rx is a collaboration with the Hmong American Farmers Association, an organization formed in 2011 to advance the prosperity of Hmong Farmers through cooperative endeavors and advocacy.  Each week during the growing season, fresh produce is brought to the Phalen Village Clinic, where it is distributed to patients and families who are experiencing food insecurity.  They are provided with produce and recipes to potentially improve their health as they improve their diet.

Culturally Informed Diabetes Education in the Hmong Community 

A MetroPap student received funding from MAFP for a small QI project that has continued to grow. Current plans are to work with community members in developing educational materials that address the needs our patients. SoLaHmo, (Somali, Latinx and Hmong) a nonprofit group who have developed diabetes education materials in the past are collaborators.

Diverse and dedicated core faculty and areas of interest

Hospitalist - Dr Tim Ronneberg MD, Associate Program Director

DO OMT experiential training  - Dr Jennifer Budd  DO, Medical Director

Sports Medicine - Dr Rahul Kapur  MD, and Dr Diana Cowdrey, MD

Women's Health - Dr Kathryn Brown MD, Dr Anne Keenan MD, Dr Karen Jankowski MD and Dr Angela Smithson MD

Gender Expansive Care - Dr Kelsey Leonardsmith MD

Reproductive Health - Dr Kathryn Brown MD, Dr Angela Smithson MD, Dr Kelsey Leonardsmith MD, and Dr April Wilhelm MD

Colonoscopy and vasectomy - Dr James Hougas III MD

Rural care - Dr Kirby Clark MD, Dr Anne Keenan MD, Dr Jim Hougas MD and Dr Angela Smithson MD

Geriatrics - Dr Ben Rosenstein MD

Refugee and Immigrant health - Dr Karen Jankowski MD

Adolescent care - Dr Kelsey Leonardsmith MD and Dr April Wilhelm MD

Pharmacy and diabetic education - Dr Katherine Montag Schafer, PharmD, CDE

Integrative care team with behavioral health precepting - Dr Lisa Zak Hunter, LMFT, PhD

Advocacy Work

• The entire St John's Family Medicine Residency Program, including staff, have attended workshop sessions on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• Precepting toward social justice

• Didactic curriculum with intentionality. Includes discussions regarding structural and systemic factors contributing to disparities.

• Participation in department longitudinal resident advocacy curriculum

• Quality improvement projects that will incorporate a broader understanding of disparities.