Valley Children’s Hospital welcomed its inaugural class of pediatric resident Tuesday as part of an affiliation with Stanford University School of Medicine.

Of the class of 13 in the Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program, four actually grew up in Central California, and 10 are from California.

The program features partnerships with hospitals and medical groups throughout the area, giving residents the opportunity for rotations at partner locations including Kaiser Permanente, Saint Agnes Medical Center and Dignity Health in the Bay Area.

Valley Children’s Hospital continues to serve as a teaching site for more than 210 residents and medical students in a dozen other programs, including those based at Stanford in Palo Alto, Kaweah Delta Health Care District in Visalia, Mercy Medical Center in Merced and Valley Health Team in Fresno.

The hospital has been a training site for residents for 40 years, but now Valley Children’s is the sponsoring institution of this residency program, taking full academic and financial responsibility for their graduate medical education.

The inaugural class of residents includes:

Daniel Ebbs, A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine: Former paramedic in Madera, founded a non-profit to bring health care training to rural communities

Rebecca Filbrandt, American University – Caribbean School of Medicine: From Chico, has experience in rural health medicine, wants to practice medicine in rural communities

Devon Goossen, Saint Louis University School of Medicine: From Fresno, undergraduate degree from Fresno State, former Valley Children’s volunteer, wants to stay in Fresno and address critical health issues unique to the Central Valley

Theodore Gross, Tulane University School of Medicine: From New Orleans, will practice as a pediatrician for the U.S. Air Force after completion of residency

Daniel Merriott, Tulane University School of Medicine: San Jose native, advocate for children’s health issues

Jessica Monk, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine: From Livermore, has completed several rotations at Valley Children’s and worked on research projects with Valley Children’s pediatric specialists

Erica Neuhaus, Ohio State University College of Medicine: From Santa Clara, graduate of U.C. Merced, founded a neonatal and maternal-fetal medicine interest group and NICU “cuddler” program at Ohio State

Thanh Huong Nguyen, University of Colorado School of Medicine: From Aurora, Colo., also has master’s degree in public health, served as math and reading tutor for 11 years

Tai Pham, Tulane University School of Medicine: From Milpitas, has master’s degree in public health, coordinated a clinic for a deeply underserved region of New Orleans, emphasis on social justice and cultural fluency in medicine

Juan Torres, UCLA/Drew Medical Education Program: From La Mesa, committed to addressing lack of medical needs among Latino populations

Cristina Vargas, U.C. Irvine School of Medicine: From Stockton, master’s degree in science in biomedical and translational science, research work in diabetes and underserved Spanish-speaking patients, instrumental in creation of Southern California program to help low-income schools meet diet and exercise requirements for students

Albert Vu, University of Colorado School of Medicine: From Irvine, worked for two years in a community clinic serving children in low-income areas

Zahia Zayed, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University: From Hickory Hills, Ill., established school-based health science education program in town near her medical school