Family Medicine Residency Program

Launched in 2022, our Family Medicine Residency Program provides hands-on rural healthcare training, allowing residents to care for patients of all ages while serving the unique needs of Northern Michigan communities.

Alcona Health Center Ossineke Building

What is the Family Medicine Residency Program?

Ossineke BP Monitor

What is a Resident?

A resident physician is a doctor receiving specialized training in family medicine while caring for patients under the guidance of experienced physicians.

The MyMichigan Midland Family Medicine Residency Program – Alcona Health Center Campus allows for an opportunity to truly experience the realities of practicing in a rural setting. The Residency Program is a total of three years. The first year is spent exclusively at the MyMichigan Midland location. For the following two years, residents split their time between seeing patients at Alcona Health Center in Ossineke and rotations at the newly remodeled MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena. The Family Medicine Residency Program launched with Alcona Health Center in June of 2022. Residents interact with a wide range of patients from newborns to geriatrics and from a diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Fairly unique to the area is an Amish community who accesses care at the health center.

MIDOCs is a state- and federally-funded program expanding graduate medical education residency positions in select specialties to recruit and retain physicians in underserved areas of Michigan. Learn more at https://www.michigandocs.org/

TThere is! Interested in learning about the program or want print material? Find the Residency Program Brochure here: How do Doctors Become Doctors?

Meet the Residency Leadership

Michelle LaFave, MD

Michelle LaFave, MD serves as the Director, Faculty Provider and Advisor/Lead Preceptor for the MyMichigan Midland Family Residency Program. She is passionate about her role as a mentor and teacher in the program.

Current Residents

W. Hardy Gatlin, DO

W. Hardy Gatlin, DO

Garrett Richardson, MD

Garrett Richardson, MD

Joshua Nowicki, DO

Joshua Nowicki, DO

Ammon Pontious, MD

Ammon Pontious, MD

Resident Graduates

Ashton Lewandowski, MD

After graduation in 2026, Dr. Ashton Lewandowski joined Corwell Health in Ionia, Michigan.

Dylan Haas, MD

Dr. Dylan Haas, upon graduating the program in 2026, joined McLaren in Flushing, Michigan.

Mark Lemanski, MD

Dr. Mark Lemanski graduated from the Residency Program in 2025. He will be continuing practice at Thunder Bay Community Health in Hillman, MI doing Family Practice.

Arman Salim, DO

Dr. Arman Salim graduated from the Residency Program in 2025.

David Westphal, MD-MPH

Dr. David Westphal graduated from the first Residency Program in 2024 and now works as a provider for AHC at the Alpena location.

Christian Grant, MD

Christian Grant, MD graduated from the program as one of AHC’s first Residents in 2024.

Resident Doctors Group Photo