UT Tyler and Family Circle of Care Celebrate Five-Year Collaboration
September 16, 2026 | Elizabeth Wingfield
The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine and Family Circle of Care celebrated five years of collaboration. Shortly after the
UT Tyler internal medicine residency’s inception five years ago, the Family Circle
of Care’s West Gentry Clinic became home to the residents’ continuity clinic.
“What makes this clinic special is not simply the growth in numbers or the expansion of space but the impact we are making together,” said President Julie V. Philley, MD. “This partnership has created greater access to care for families in North Tyler while providing outstanding educational opportunities for future physicians.”
This partnership has given School of Medicine residents exposure to a larger patient population, strengthened their outpatient training experience and expanded access to high-quality care.
“Five years ago, there was a great unmet need for affordable healthcare services for adults in North Tyler. UT Tyler and Family Circle of Care joined together in an amazing collaboration to provide quality healthcare for all, regardless of ability to pay. Today, the West Gentry Clinic serves 2,000 patients per month, 1,000 of whom are cared for by UT Tyler internal medicine resident physicians,” said Family Circle of Care CEO Kristen Harris. “We are grateful to our West Gentry Clinic patients for entrusting us with your care and for UT Tyler resident physicians for working alongside Family Circle of Care to improve health outcomes in Tyler.”
In addition to internal medicine, the West Gentry Clinic provides comprehensive services in pediatrics, gynecology, family medicine and behavioral health. Sites like these allow UT Tyler School of Medicine residents to better serve East Texas while gaining deep, practical knowledge of the region’s specific healthcare needs under the guidance of dedicated faculty.
To learn more about the program or apply, visit uttyler.edu/internal-medicine.
About Family Circle of Care
Family Circle of Care (FCC) is non-profit community health center with 7 clinics, a pharmacy, and a mobile medical unit in Tyler, plus 1 clinic in Jacksonville and 1 in Athens. FCC provides medical services to 35,000 unduplicated patients per year resulting in about 124,000 patient visits. FCC offers pediatrics, OBGYN, internal medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, counseling, dental, optometry, and pharmacy services. They accept Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurances, and have a financial assistance program for low-income patients. FCC has received awards every year for the last 5 years for the outstanding care they provide and are rated among the highest in the nation. FCC welcomes patients of all ages and provides healthcare to all, regardless of ability to pay.
About UT Tyler
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 11,500 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.