James Kruer Jr., MD, Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s (NGMC) Internal Medicine Residency Program Director, joined our team with more than 20 years’ clinical and education experience in graduate medical education (GME). Before taking the helm to lead NGMC’s internal medicine residency program, he served as program director for internal medicine at St. Mary Mercy Hospital, in Livonia, Mich. During his time at St. Mary’s Dr. Kruer was instrumental in building the St. Mary Mercy Hospital’s program. Prior to St. Mary’s Mercy Hospital, Dr. Kruer served as the volunteer assistant clinical faculty for internal medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Dr. Kruer’s goal for the Internal Medicine residency program is to build a vibrant community-based, educationally well-rounded training program intentionally grounded in the core values of Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
More specifically, to recruit and train residents who:
- Acknowledge and embrace their unique and influential role in patient care, impacting the most sacred moments in life.
- As learners and leaders are in pursuit of continuous improvement, always striving to be better tomorrow than today.
- Understand their significant, individual roles within the total care team, with a full appreciation that they cannot do their job without the support of others.
- Recognize their accountability in the value of care delivered to patients, with a focus on both quality and cost because resource decisions made today influence the organization’s ability to invest in tomorrow’s future.
- Will continue to serve or proudly represent the values of our Northeast Georgia communities wherever they may practice after graduation.
Dr. Kruer received his medical degree at Indiana School of Medicine and his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University Southeast. He completed his internal medicine residency at Wayne State University Health Center at Detroit Medical Center, where he was the chief internal medicine resident. Dr. Kruer is a member of the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine.
Learn more about the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Internal Medicine residency program by watching this short video.
Dr. Kruer and his family live in Gainesville, Georgia. In his free time, Dr. Kruer likes to attend community festivals and farm markets, explore the natural beauty of Georgia and the southeast, walk Sparky (the best Westie ever), and enjoy great music on the Gainesville square every Thursday night.
Related articles or videos
- Meet John Delzell Jr., MD, MSPH, Vice President of Medical Education
- Northeast Georgia Medical Center Internal Medicine Program video
- James Kruer, MD biography
About Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s GME program
Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s (NGMC) Graduate Medical Education program will begin receiving applications for the Internal Medicine and General Surgery Residency Programs in August 2018 and will match the inaugural class in the spring of 2019. The Northeast Georgia Medical Center Graduate Medical Education program is designed to train residents to be leaders in the medical field as well as in the community. All residents will receive education beyond the six core competencies with a unique focus on the patient experience and methodologies of a High-Reliability Organization and Lean principles. Learn more about the NGMC GME program.
About Northeast Georgia Health System
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) is a non-profit institution on a mission of improving the health of our community in all we do. Our team cares for more than 800,000 people across the region through three hospitals and a variety of outpatient locations. Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) has three hospital campuses – NGMC Gainesville, NGMC Braselton, and NGMC Barrow – with a total of 713 beds and more than 700 medical staff members representing more than 50 specialties. Learn more at www.nghs.com.