Casper Medicine Residency Program’s Kirsch Earns UW Promotion

A 15-year faculty member in the University of Wyoming's Casper Family Medicine Residency Program has been promoted to a new role in UW's graduate medical education/family medicine department.

Dr. Caroline Kirsch is now the associate designated institutional official (DIO) for the department. She brings extensive experience in graduate medical education, as more than half of her time at the Casper operation has been in critical leadership roles as the associate program director and osteopathic program director, demonstrating her commitment to medical education excellence in Wyoming.

"Dr. Kirsch's appointment represents our ongoing commitment to providing exceptional medical education that meets the highest standards while addressing the unique health care needs of our state," says Dr. Beth Robitaille, DIO and chair of the graduate medical education/family medicine department. "Her experience and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our residency programs."

In her new role, Kirsch will focus on achieving robust compliance with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education institutional, common, program and clinical learning environment review requirements. This work ensures that the university's graduate medical education programs, faculty, residents, fellows and staff members continue to flourish and excel. She will maintain her position as a core faculty member at the Casper program.

"I am proud to welcome Dr. Caroline Kirsch into her new role as associate DIO," says Patrick Hardigan, dean of UW's College of Health Sciences. "Her long-standing commitment to graduate medical education, deep Wyoming roots and dedication to serving our communities make her an exceptional leader for this position. I have every confidence that her vision and experience will further elevate our residency programs and advance our mission to train compassionate, skilled physicians who are prepared to meet the unique health care needs of Wyoming."

Kirsch earned three degrees from UW, including a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science (1993), a Master of Arts (1996) and a Bachelor of Science (2002), before obtaining her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2007. She completed her residency at UW from 2007-2010.

Kirsch has held a clinical associate professor appointment at UW since 2017, along with her role as medical director at Casper College since 2018. She holds an active certification in family medicine from the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Beyond her academic contributions, Kirsch serves on the Casper/Natrona County Board of Health and is a former member of the Board of Directors of The Science Zone.

Kirsch is known for her expertise in clinical quality initiatives, systems improvement and service expansion to vulnerable populations. She is passionate about bridging osteopathic principles with modern medical practice to train compassionate, skilled family physicians prepared to meet the varied health care needs of Wyoming residents.

For more information about UW's graduate medical education residency and fellowship programs, call Robitaille at (307) 234-6161 or email bethr@uwyo.edu.

About UW's College of Health Sciences

UW's College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.

With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and frontier populations.