FMOL Health | St. Francis Celebrates First Internal Medicine Residency Graduating Class
June 16, 2026
MONROE, La. — FMOL Health | St. Francis is celebrating the first graduating class of its Internal Medicine Residency Program, with five of the 10 physicians continuing their careers at St. Francis. The milestone reflects the program’s role in strengthening Northeast Louisiana’s physician workforce and expanding access to care across the region.
“Caring for the people we serve means investing not only in the care we provide today, but also in the physicians who will serve these communities for years to come,” said Thomas Gullatt, MD, FMOL Health | St. Francis president. “This inaugural class reflects our mission in action—preparing compassionate physicians and building a healthier future for communities across the region.”
Across FMOL Health, approximately 50% of physicians remain in the communities where they complete their residency training, demonstrating the important role graduate medical education plays in building a sustainable physician workforce and improving access to care.
The graduation ceremony, held Friday, June 12 at Hotel Monroe, recognized the residents’ hard work, growth and dedication throughout their training. Residents gained experience across a range of clinical settings while working alongside physicians, specialists and multidisciplinary care teams at St. Francis.
"These physicians have developed the clinical knowledge, judgment and confidence needed to care for patients with complex health needs,” said Navin Ramlal, MD, Internal Medicine Residency Program Director. “We are proud of what they have accomplished and look forward to the expertise and leadership they will bring to St. Francis and the patients we serve.”
The five graduates continuing their careers at St. Francis are:
- Hamama Javaid, MD, Internal Medicine
- Sham Kumar, MD, Internal Medicine,
- Deekshitha Manney, MD, Internal Medicine
- Nisheem Pokharel, MD,Internal Medicine
- Swesha Shrestha, MD, Internal Medicine
The St. Francis Internal Medicine Residency Program advances medical education by training physicians in Monroe and preparing them to serve patients across Northeast Louisiana, including rural communities.
To learn more about graduate medical education and career opportunities at St. Francis, visit stfran.com.
About FMOL Health | St. Francis
FMOL Health | St. Francis is a not-for-profit Catholic healthcare ministry based in Monroe, Louisiana, with more than 1,800 team members committed to caring for those we serve. With a 328-bed medical center, acute-care hospital, freestanding outpatient center, over 25 outpatient clinics, and nearly 350 physician partners, for more than 110 years, St. Francis has provided comprehensive healthcare services for a variety of medical and surgical specialties. St. Francis offers Northeast Louisiana’s only Level III NICU, Level III OB, OB-ED, and Level II PICU services. St. Francis Medical Center leads the region in heart and vascular services, critical care, and complex and minimally invasive surgical procedures. The hospital offers a designated Level III Trauma Center, a Graduate Medical Education Program, Accredited Chest Pain Center, Accredited Primary Stroke Center and Centers of Excellence in the areas of bariatric surgery, minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, minimally invasive gynecology, breast health and specialized anesthesia. St. Francis is part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and is driven by its mission to serve all God’s people, especially those most in need. For more information, visit stfran.com.