UK St. Claire Rural Family Medicine Residency earns national recognition
MOREHEAD, Ky. (Nov. 5, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Rural Morehead Family Medicine Residency, located at UK St. Claire, has earned national recognition for its proven success in preparing physicians who serve Kentucky families close to home.
The program was named to the Rural Medical Training Collaborative’s 2025 Rural Recognition List, which honors residencies with a proven record of training physicians who choose community-based practice after graduation. It is the only program in Kentucky — and one of just 31 nationwide — to receive the distinction.
“This recognition means a great deal to our team,” said Donald H. Lloyd II, president and CEO of UK St. Claire. “When doctors choose to stay and practice in places like Morehead and across rural Kentucky, families gain trusted care close to home. That’s the kind of difference that lasts for generations — and that’s what our mission is all about: people caring for people, neighbors helping neighbors.”
Residency programs must demonstrate that at least 35% of graduates begin their careers in rural communities based on a three-year rolling average. The UK Rural Morehead Family Medicine Residency far exceeds that benchmark: 92% of its graduates have gone on to serve in rural Kentucky and neighboring states, with several alumni practicing as the sole physicians in their communities.
“We are honored to be recognized for the education we, along with the full support of UK St. Claire, provide to prepare family physicians to care for Kentucky’s rural communities,” said Craig Burrows, M.D., program director of the UK Rural Morehead Family Medicine Residency. “By placing family physicians in these communities, we improve both the quality of care and the satisfaction of patients and physicians alike.”
Since its inception in 2000 as a Rural Training Track in association with the UK College of Medicine, the program has graduated 59 physicians — many practicing full-spectrum family medicine, including obstetrics, pediatrics, nursing-home care and home visits. The program transitioned to a full Family Medicine Residency with Osteopathic Recognition in 2018 and now trains four residents per year across three years of study.
Recent graduates continue that mission. Benjamin Hayes, M.D., who graduated in 2024, now serves as the sole physician at UK St. Claire’s clinic in Frenchburg, exemplifying the program’s impact in strengthening access to care.
“For me, this program wasn’t just about becoming a doctor — it was about becoming the kind of doctor my community needs,” said Hayes. “Working in Frenchburg, I see firsthand how much it means for patients to have care close to home, from someone who knows them and their families.”
Over the past three years, graduate practice locations have included Carter, Madison, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan and Rowan counties.
Marie Dennison, M.D., (Class of 2017) returned as assistant program director, mentoring new residents to follow in her footsteps.
“I knew I would return to Eastern Kentucky upon graduation and sought a program that would best train me to practice in this service area,” said Dennison. “I’m proud of the skill set and knowledge base instilled in me throughout my training and am proud to now train the next generation of rural family medicine physicians at our residency.”
The UK Rural Morehead Family Medicine Residency at UK St. Claire is a three-year, fully accredited program offering hands-on inpatient and outpatient training alongside expert faculty. Medical students interested in joining the program can learn more and apply by clicking here.
About UK St. Claire
For more than 60 years, UK St. Claire has served Kentucky with a mission to provide high-quality, compassionate care close to home. What began as a single hospital has grown into a comprehensive health system offering advanced care and trusted support for families across the region. In partnership with UK HealthCare, UK St. Claire ensures Kentuckians have access to exceptional care without leaving home.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated health care professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the health care landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.