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SAGINAW, Mich. – CMU Medical Education Partners announced plans to launch a new Critical Care Fellowship program in July 2026. This two-year program will provide physicians with additional medical training following the completion of a three-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education residency in Internal Medicine or Emergency Medicine.

"This is an incredible development for the Great Lakes Bay Region and the regional hospitals," said CMEP’s President and CEO Dr. Samuel Shaheen. "We will be educating the next generation of specialists who will care for severely ill patients in hospital intensive care units."

The program will offer eight fellowship positions, allowing fellows to train at CMEP’s partner hospitals, Covenant HealthCare and MyMichigan Health in Saginaw, as well as other possible health facilities.

“MyMichigan Health is honored to be part of the collaboration with CMU Medical Education Partners and Covenant HealthCare on the launch of the new Critical Care Fellowship,” said Paul Berg, MD, CMU Medical Education Partners board member, and senior vice president and chief medical officer of MyMichigan Health. “This is a great example of how these remarkable organizations can partner and create opportunities to train the next generation of physicians for our communities.”

Dr. Amjad Nader from Covenant HealthCare will serve as the fellowship director, and Dr. Lokesh Dayal from MyMichigan Health will be the assistant fellowship director for this program.

“Covenant HealthCare is privileged to be a learning site for the new Critical Care Fellowship in Saginaw,” said Matthew Deibel, MD, MHA, Chief Medical Executive/VP of Quality, Covenant HealthCare. “This collaboration with CMU Medical Education Partners and MyMichigan Health aligns seamlessly with our mission to provide extraordinary care for patients in the community.”

In collaboration with Central Michigan University College of Medicine, CMEP is responsible for eight residency programs and one fellowship. The addition of the Critical Care Fellowship will bring the total number of fellowships to two. As a result, there will be a total of 181 physicians in residency training.

Dr. Shaheen emphasized that over 50% of individuals who complete their residency training remain in the state where they trained. "Our goal here at CMEP is to create residency and fellowship programs that retain physicians in the area—this not only benefits patient health but also contributes to the economic vitality of our community," he stated. 

For more information about the Critical Care Fellowship, individuals may visit cmuhealth.org or contact Bethany Figg, Associate DIO and Director of Graduate Medical Education at 989-746-7672.

About CMU Medical Education Partners

CMU Medical Education Partners nationally recognized physicians train CMU College of Medicine medical students and residents as well as provide high-quality patient care at several CMU Health clinics throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region.