RUMFORD — Rumford Hospital has welcomed two new residents to the Rumford Hospital residency program of the Central Maine Medical Center Rural Track Residency Program.

In the three-year rural track program, residents who are recent medical school graduates spend their first year with their class in Lewiston. During their second and third years, they have the opportunity to learn what it is like to practice in a rural community instead of the large, urban hospitals they have become accustomed to.

Sarah Kelley-Spearing, DO, and James Flannery, MD, both pursued the residency program in Rumford with a strong interest in wilderness medicine and integrative medicine, which are both offered through the rural track program. They are both looking forward to working in a smaller, more remote setting where they can provide whole-person care and build relationships within the community.

Born and raised in Stowe, Vermont, Kelley-Spearing discovered her love of medicine when she was in college studying Tibetan medicine in the Himalayas where she was inspired by the complete integration of physical, mental and emotional balance and healing. In her spare time she enjoys outdoor activities, especially backcountry skiing, trail running, mountain biking and yoga. Kelley-Spearing has begun her residency work and training in Rumford.

Flannery, born in Toronto, has begun his work and training at Rumford Hospital after moving to the area with his wife of six years and two children. He has a passion for wilderness/expeditionary medicine as well as integrative medicine. He is an active participant in the Wilderness/International Medicine Program at CMMC. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors playing hockey and learning to telemark ski.