Department of Family Medicine

Administration

48 Sanderson Street, Suite 203
Greenfield, MA 01301
Phone: 413-773-2022

3601 Main Street, Room 322
Springfield, MA 01107 

Welcome from the Chair

Family Medicine is the largest primary care specialty, with physicians practicing from major urban areas to small rural communities. Our discipline is based on a trusting doctor-patient relationship, using the biopsychosocial model to also address wellness and the behavioral health needs of our patients. In order to improve the health of patients and their families, health care systems rely upon a strong primary care base—family physicians fulfill that role by providing high quality, cost-conscious, accessible health care.

Family physicians are practicing through the Pioneer Valley in a variety of settings from traditional family medicine practices and urgent care centers, to providing sports medicine, addressing addictions, school health and palliative care.

In 2019 a new Department of Family Medicine at UMass Chan-Baystate was founded to support and further develop Family Medicine in the Pioneer Valley. Our Department seeks to be the leading academic department for educating and recruiting family physicians who will provide the highest value primary care services to the people of western Massachusetts.

Our Department's Mission

To explore innovative methods for population healthcare delivery while:

• Educating PURCH students in the basic tenants of family medicine
• Supporting a family medicine residency program based in Greenfield, MA
• Assisting with recruiting family physicians to the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts
• Supporting our faculty to achieve their professional goals
• Partnering with innovative organizations for practice redesign

Since being established in 2019, we have recognized two Baystate Health Medical Practices for Family Medicine – Greenfield Family Medicine and Northampton Family Medicine. These vibrant practices, along with several community practices, such as the Valley Medical Group and Atkinson Family Practice are providing important training experiences for PURCH medical students.

To support workforce development and community engagement we are sponsoring the Baystate Franklin Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and have been fortunate to secure HRSA grant funding to develop the Family Medicine residency.

A major early initiative for the Department was to create an American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited Family Medicine Residency in Greenfield. This notable effort resulted in the admission of our inaugural class of residents in July of 2022! Widespread support from the Franklin County community along with Baystate Health has resulted in a multi-million-dollar renovation of 48 Sanderson Street - the medical office building next to Baystate Franklin Medical Center - into Baystate Health’s newest Health and Wellness Center. This facility hosts the offices and educational space for the Greenfield Family Medicine Residency!

We continue to grow and are enthusiastic about the future of Family Medicine in the Pioneer Valley! Please explore our website to learn more about our programs and don’t hesitate to e-mail me with any questions or comments about our Department that you.

Department Leadership

• Robert Baldor, MD, Department Chair
• Chandra Hartman, MD, Residency Program Director

Education Programs 

Medical Student Core Clerkship

Our department manages the required Family Medicine Clerkship for the PURCH medical students under the leadership of Dr. Katherine S. Gerstle. Students mainly rotate through the two Baystate Medical Family Medicine Practices located in Northampton and Greenfield, with additional precepting opportunities provided by other community-based family physicians throughout the Pioneer Valley.

Education Sites

• Greenfield Family Medicine
• Baystate Family Medicine-Northampton

Research

Department of Family Medicine research initiatives are being established and grants totaling almost 1 million dollars have been secured to support rural-based family practice.

• Practice innovation
• Enhanced use of information technology
• Shared decision making
• Community engagement
• Telehealth
• Distance learning