Sylvia Peterson-Perry, M.D.

"I was born and raised in Portland, OR and am thrilled to be staying in the incomparable Pacific Northwest for residency. I attended college at Stanford University, majoring in Human Biology with a concentration in community health, and was quickly drawn to public health as a vehicle to increase social justice and reduce persistent inequities in our society. While working for community health organizations during and after college, I volunteered in a clinical capacity at local safety net clinics and came to realize that while addressing upstream structural and systemic issues is crucial to impacting the health of communities, I found the most joy in working directly with patients. These joint passions led me to seek a dual-degree MD/MPH from Oregon Health & Science University. During my five years of study, I had the opportunity to be involved in many projects, including: teaching medical students and residents health literacy skills; identifying and addressing gender disparities in medical education; developing and implementing a curriculum in structural competency; drafting, lobbying for and passing a state-wide health policy law; evaluating an addiction medicine inpatient consult service; and working with Planned Parenthood Columbia-Willamette on quality improvement around adolescent well care visits. Like many Family Medicine physicians, my medical interests are broad, but my primary passions include: women’s and reproductive health, including immigrant and refugee health; addiction medicine; health policy and quality improvement; and working with urban underserved communities. In my free time, you’ll find me playing soccer or volleyball, hiking with my fiancé, going on bike adventures, thinking about adopting a dog, or cheering on the Portland Thorns (or slightly begrudgingly watching a Seattle Reign or Sounders game!). I am so excited to be joining the amazing community at Swedish First Hill and am honored to be surrounded by and to learn from this group of individuals dedicated to using their roles as family physicians to advance social justice, health equity and racial justice"