Tim Farrell and Robert Gilmore of Gilmore & Farrell Insurance Agency, Inc., in Greenfield, have donated $15,000 to Baystate Health Foundation to be used for the new Family Medicine Residency Program at Baystate Franklin Medical Center.
Tim says he decided to talk with Bob about donating because they are strong believers in small businesses supporting their communities.
“I supported the idea of the Family Medicine Program when I was on the Baystate Health Board of Trustees, so I wanted as a local business owner to do something after I got off the board,” he says. “This program is very important to our community. I’d love to see other businesses join us and do whatever they can.”
Tim says anyone who has had to search for a physician in Franklin County and beyond its borders knows just how much we need more doctors in the area.
“It’s the same for any rural place or non-metropolitan place in the country right now,” he says. “It’s a real challenge, but I love that statistically it shows that doctors are 50 percent more likely to stay in the area where they were trained. So, if any or all of them decide to stay here, that will be really good for us.”
Tim, who was born and raised in Franklin County and is now raising his family here, says he likes that Baystate Franklin and Baystate Health are taking the initiative to bring good doctors to the county.
“Gilmore & Farrell is doing our part, and we hope other small businesses will follow along,” he says.
The Family Medicine residency training program will provide physician training to residents joining the program. The first four will arrive in late June. Over the next two years, eight more will join for a total of 12.
The idea to develop a Family Medicine residency training program at Baystate Franklin Medical Center grew out of a plan to help support the hospital services the hospital provides to its community, and to establish a vitally needed pipeline of primary-care physicians in the Valley.
Gilmore & Farrell Insurance is family owned and is Franklin County’s local, independent insurance agency for auto, home, motorcycle, collector car, boats, snowmobiles, renters and business insurance.
To learn more about the Department of Family Medicine Residency Program and how you can support it, visit BaystateHealth.org/FMF.