Garnet Health Announces General Surgery Residency Associate Program Director

MIDDLETOWN, NY (Apr. 12, 2024) — Garnet Health is pleased to announce Douglas James, MD, has been appointed as the Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency within Garnet Health’s Graduate Medical Education program. As a critical care surgeon, Dr. James serves as the Medical Director for Garnet Health’s Level II Trauma Center and has been with the organization since July 2021. 

Providing a clinical learning environment of excellence, Garnet Health Medical Center is a teaching facility and home to several residency programs. Residents are medical-school graduates with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree who take part in post-graduate training programs. Residents work in hospitals and outpatient doctors’ offices to continue their education and medical training in a specialized field under the supervision of attending physicians. 

During their residency, medical residents provide direct care to patients, including diagnosing, managing, and treating health conditions and injuries. General surgery is one of seven residency programs at Garnet Health, which also includes emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, psychiatry and a transitional-year program. Each of Garnet Health’s residency programs is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), an organization that sets and monitors voluntary professional educational standards essential in preparing physicians to deliver safe, high-quality medical care to all patients. 

“Academic medical centers train the next generation of physicians, and many studies support better patient outcomes than at nonteaching hospitals,” said Ryan Punsalan, MD, FACP, FHM, Designated Institutional Official for Garnet Health’s Graduate Medical Education and Program Director for Garnet Health’s Internal Medicine Residency Program. “As a medical educator for many years, Dr. James joins an exemplary team dedicated to the highest of standards in education and medical care.”

Dr. James received his medical degree from Tulane University. He completed his residency in General Surgery at State University of New York – Downstate Medical Center, as well as two fellowships—one in Pediatric Trauma at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and the other in Trauma Critical Care at Westchester Medical Center/New York Medical College. He is board certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care. 

To learn more about Garnet Health’s residency program, visit garnethealth.org/medical-education. 
 

About Garnet Health 

Garnet Health is a New York State not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Middletown, New York, approximately 60 miles northwest of New York City. It is the corporate parent of Garnet Health Medical Center, Garnet Health Medical Center – Catskills, Garnet Health Doctors, Garnet Health Urgent Care, Garnet Health Foundation and Garnet Health Foundation – Catskills. Garnet Health is dedicated to developing specialty services, medical programs and needed healthcare services that allow residents to remain close to home to receive quality care.

Providing healthcare to approximately 500,000 residents in Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties, Garnet Health was designed to improve the quality, stability and efficiency of healthcare services in the mid-Hudson and Catskills region. Garnet Health provides the services of more than 4,000 employed professionals and over 850 medical staff members. An academic affiliate of the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Garnet Health retains compassionate professionals who continually strive toward the hospital’s mission to improve the health of our community by providing exceptional healthcare. To learn more about Garnet Health, visit garnethealth.org.