By Karin Fleming, Vitals contributor
From cold and flu to family planning and transgender medicine, family medicine physicians care for patients and families with these health concerns and more.
Dr. Ryan Spielvogel
While the range of illnesses and health-related questions commonly addressed by family medicine physicians is broad, their focus on delivering whole-person care to people in communities big and small is highly precise.
“As the cornerstone of a healthier community, family medicine plays a critical role in shaping a future where all individuals get and stay well. At Sutter Health, we believe a family medicine practice is not just a place to treat illnesses; it is a hub of comprehensive and compassionate care that nurtures individuals of all ages, from infants to seniors, addressing their physical, emotional and mental well-being,” says Dr. Ryan Spielvogel, who was recently named program director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento.
Dr. Spielvogel shares his perspectives on the importance of family medicine and how Sutter is taking it to new levels of excellence through growth of the organization’s Graduate Medical Education programs.
Q: What are you most excited about in assuming your new role?
A: So many things. The faculty at our program are some of the most talented and dedicated individuals I have ever had the privilege to work with, and I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead them. As the practice of medicine changes, so must we because residency training is never static. I’m excited to lead our innovative group of educators as we navigate the changing landscape of family medicine together.
Training residents has been the most rewarding experience of my professional career. Watching them grow, helping shape and guide them through their metamorphosis, and then seeing them fly on their own on the other side—it’s an intensely gratifying thing to be part of.
Q: You conduct research at Sutter and you’ve published findings in peer-reviewed journals. How are research and medical education at Sutter interconnected, and why is that important?
A: Curiosity and a desire for exploration are at the heart of family medicine. It is the life blood of human connection, driving us to learn more about our patients and develop the sacred bonds of the physician-patient relationship. Research—the methodical process of knowledge discovery—is a natural consequence of curiosity.
At our program, we pride ourselves on training the next generation of physicians and thought leaders in our field. As such, we will continue aligning Sutter GME and research to engage our trainees and encourage them to explore scientific questions with rigor.
A quotation often attributed to Isaac Asimov is, “The most exciting phrase to hear in science isn’t ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s odd…’” When our residents have their own “That’s odd…” moment, our program will support them through their process of discovery and purposeful curiosity.
Q: What is your vision for the family medicine program at SMCS?
A: Since our program’s inception more than 25 years ago, our residents have benefited from unparalleled education at Sutter’s nationally-recognized facilities and from countless devoted community preceptors. With residents currently at SMCS, Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Amador Hospital, and with our program expanding to include Sutter Coast Hospital in two years, our program will continue helping Sutter Health realize its vision for GME—with our rural training tracks in Amador and Crescent City addressing the critical shortage of medical providers in rural communities.
Q: Can you describe a recent, rewarding “teachable moment” where you saw a Sutter resident apply their knowledge to clinical practice?
A: I have the fortune to see this every day. In the last three days alone, I’ve witnessed a new resident counsel a nervous mother-to-be and another guide a young female patient through her first cervical biopsy; I watched one of our senior residents discuss complications from a recent case with compassion, professionalism and vulnerability; and another coordinate a highly complex delivery to usher new, healthy life into the world. This is the magic of what we do!
