Adventist Health welcomes four new resident physicians in Hanford

HANFORD – Four new resident physicians joined Adventist Health’s Hanford Family Medicine Residency Program in June. The residency program is affiliated with Loma Linda University and fully financed by Adventist Health. Practicing under the supervision of licensed family medicine physicians, residents care for patients and serve the local community during their three-year training.

The new residents received a warm welcome from Adventist Health faculty and leadership during a White Coat Ceremony, where they received their Adventist Health white coats.

“We are fortunate to provide resident physicians with the opportunity to deliver high-quality care in rural areas of the Central Valley,” says, Dr. Raul Ayala, market medical officer at Adventist Health in the Central Valley. “Our communities benefit as well because we’re able to increase their access to a provider, and in turn, increase their access to care.”

Peter Bong, MD, completed his medical degree at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine with a strong focus on psychiatry. With a calling in family medicine, he looks forward to serving the Hanford-area community with a focus on whole-person health. Bong speaks English and Spanish. In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering at his church, indoor surfing and playing lacrosse and pickleball.

Juan Deras, MD, completed his medical degree at Universidad Juárez del Estado del Durango in Durango, Mexico. Concerned for his safety as a physician in Mexico, Deras and his wife moved their family to the United States, where he was accepted into UCLA’s International Medical Graduate Program. He speaks English and Spanish and is thrilled to pursue his passion for family medicine caring for local families in the Hanford community. Dr. Deras is married and has three children. In his spare time, he and his family enjoy watching movies, hiking, cooking and traveling.

Jennifer Garcia, MD, completed her medical degree at the University of the East, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center College of Medicine in Quezon City, Philippines. She’s the daughter of a longtime California family physician, wife of an Adventist Health surgeon and mother of two young children. Garcia is excited to pursue family medicine because it will allow her to build long-term relationships with her patients. She speaks English and Spanish and enjoys performing karaoke, running and exploring new cultures.

Liza Vanegas, MD, completed her medical degree at the Kharkiv National Medical University in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Following medical school, she decided to pursue her love of family medicine in a safer location away from the armed conflict in Ukraine. Vanegas looks forward to training and serving in Hanford She speaks English, Russian and Ukrainian. She is married to a physician who also is a resident at the Adventist Health program in Hanford. She enjoys ballroom dancing, ice skating and painting in her spare time.

Bong, Deras, Garcia and Vanegas are caring for patients at Adventist Health Medical Office – Hanford Residency, located at 1025 N. Douty St., Ste. 105, in Hanford. Appointments may be made by calling 559-537-0224.

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Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Our workforce of 32,900 includes more than 23,600 employees; nearly 5,000 medical staff physicians; and 4,350 volunteers. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 20 hospitals, more than 260 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 15 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. In addition, the Adventist Health Plan serves patients in Kings County. Visit AdventistHealth.org for more information.