Growing up in Greenville, S.C., Dr. Courtney Caruthers never had any Black physicians, and she rarely had female ones.
More than 100 miles away in the small Appalachian town of Elizabethton, Tenn., Dr. Hannah Hulshult was witnessing health care inequalities as a child without really knowing what they were.
Though they come from different backgrounds and different communities, the two women were motivated in the same way: they experienced health care disparities and were driven to change them.
That’s what brought both doctors to Novant Health’s new rural family medicine residency program, which kicked off in June. Caruthers and Hulshult are the program’s first two residents as new-graduate doctors receiving hands-on training, and they share a passion for ensuring that underserved communities have access to excellent – and equitable – healthcare.
Living healthier starts here.
Bringing more doctors where they’re needed
Rural communities like Pender County, N.C., and numerous others across the country are experiencing a physician shortage, leaving many families struggling to access basic health care and services. This lack of proximity to treatment affects one in three people in the United States who live a far distance from the nearest primary care doctor. And it’s an added barrier for families who may also be food insecure and lack health insurance.
Novant Health is working to bridge this critical access gap. The new rural family medicine residency is designed to place doctors in areas much closer to underserved patients. The three-year program will allow new doctors to first build a foundation in underserved communities, then continue to practice there once they complete their residencies and become board-certified, fully credentialed physicians.
“Everyone deserves access to high-quality health care regardless of where they live,” said Ruth Glaser, president of Novant Health Pender Medical Center. “It’s going to change the whole landscape of the organization, to be growing physicians right here so they can then practice here in this community. It’s a huge opportunity for Pender County.”
Meet the residents
Prior to graduating medical school in May 2025 – Caruthers from Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and Hulshult from UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill – the two were selected as the program’s first residents.
They’re seeing patients of all ages under the guidance of attending physician and family medicine residency faculty member Dr. Bailey Minish.
As part of the first year of training onsite at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, Caruthers and Hulshult also spend one day a week seeing patients at the Black River Health Services clinic, located about 30 miles north in Burgaw. There, the team treats chronic conditions including congestive heart failure and diabetes, and provides gynecological preventive care such as Pap tests and IUD insertions. Prenatal care is expected later in the program.
During the program’s second and third years, residents will continue their training at Novant Health Pender Medical Center in Burgaw, with a focus on inpatient family medicine.
Both Caruthers and Hulshult say they plan to practice in rural areas once they complete their residencies in 2028.
“What really excited me about this residency track is its role in Novant Health’s already well-established family medicine program, which made it a fit for me,” Hulshult said.
Caruthers knew in medical school that she wanted to work with underserved populations, and she has traveled to Uganda to help local patients access basic health care.
“Going into medicine was a way that I could help bridge some gaps in healthcare disparities, and also work with minority and women patients to open those doors,” she said. “And I want to make sure I give back as I advance in my career.”
Over time, bridging that gap will not only strengthen access to medical services, but also develop trusting relationships between families and their physicians, Hulshult said.
“We’re meeting patients where they are to ensure that they’re leading the conversation and are being listened to,” she added. “There’s also the public health aspect of reaching patients who have historically been overlooked. That’s the place I want to be as a doctor.”
