Seattle City Wire

Meet the Rivara Family,

It’s not uncommon for several doctors to be part of the same family. In fact, the American Medical Association estimates that nearly 40% of physicians end up marrying another doctor. What is rare, however, is when all the doctors in the family work for the same hospital.

That’s exactly the case at Harborview Medical Center. Pediatrician Frederick Rivara, MD, MPH, started at Harborview 38 years ago. Today, his son Matthew Rivara, MD, his daughter-in-law Amelia Dubovsky, MD, and son-in-law Colin Raelson, MD, MPH, all work at Harborview.

While they each practice in different specialties — Matthew Rivara is a nephrologist, Dubovsky is a psychiatrist and Raelson is an interventional cardiologist — their familial ties have given them shared experiences and insights about the medical profession.

A common vision

Despite their different concentrations and patient populations, the family shares the same approach to medicine. They are all dedicated to serving patients who have limited access to healthcare. They all attended medical school and did post-graduate residencies on the east coast but came to Seattle to practice and be close to family.

“We believe strongly in the mission of Harborview to provide care to marginalized and underserved populations,” says Frederick Rivara. “We understand the importance of providing care to those who have difficulty getting the right kind of services elsewhere. We all have chosen to work at Harborview because of its mission.”

Their commitment comes with a recognition of the challenges that accompany patients who have unmet medical and social needs, as well as the health complications that can arise at any time.

Read more at The Huddle - https://huddle.uwmedicine.org/rivara-family/

Original source can be found here.