IN: Dr. Stephen DeSantis, a board-certified general surgeon, as joined the Community Care clinic in Oakhurst.
OAKHURST — In the wake of a recent announcement that one local health care practice is losing two doctors, another has announced a new doctor has already been hired, and another will join him soon.
It’s good news for patients at Community Care in Oakhurst. Located at 48677 Victoria Lane, Community Care explains that specialty health care services there are expanding.
Dr. Stephen DeSantis, a board-certified general surgeon, has joined the clinic, and board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Jonathan Mayer is expected to join in the next few weeks, according to Adventist Health/Central Valley Network.
Dr. DeSantis is currently on the medical staff at Madera Hospital. For 33 years, he’s been performing general surgery, including laparoscopic and breast surgeries. He also performs hernia repairs and cares for patients with stomach cancer and gall bladder issues.
“In high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to be,” says Dr. DeSantis, who is married and lives in Ahwahnee. “But then, we had a Career Day and I walked in on a session where a doctor was talking about the study of medicine. I was always good at biology, so I knew this is what I was meant to do.”
Dr. DeSantis grew up in Burbank, California. He stayed in the area to receive his education, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology and a Masters in Biology from University of California, Los Angeles. He earned his medical degree from UCLA School of Medicine, and completed an internship and residency training at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, Calif.
Dr. DeSantis is board-certified through the American Board of Surgery and is a fellow of American College of Surgeons. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hiking, gardening and playing the guitar and banjo.
For more information on Community Care in Oakhurst or Dr. DeSantis, please visit www.OakhurstCare.com or call 559-683-2711 or visit 48677 Victoria Lane.
Meanwhile, at Oakhurst Medical Group, located at 40232 Junction Drive, two physicians are preparing to leave.
On October 21, the Oakhurst Medical Group office began to let patients know that Dr. Jeffrey Barigian and Dr. Kelly Tracey will depart the practice in December.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control Dr. Barijian (effective 12/31/2016) and Dr. Tracey (effective 12/15/2016) will no longer be practicing at Oakhurst Medical Group due to both of their family’s relocation out of the area,” states correspondence.
Signed by the doctors, a letter from clinicians to their “respected patients” went on to express sorrow for the hardship this could cause. Patients and others with questions may contact www.cmpmedicalgroup.com for more information. Dr. Dianne Sachau remains at the practice, along with FNP Philip Morin, family nurse practitioner.
“Please understand that there is a critical shortage of primary care providers in the United States and especially in our rural community,” the missive continued, urging patients to begin their search in Clovis and Fresno for a replacement physician “as soon as possible.”
As the explanation from Oakhurst Medical indicates, it’s not always easy to find health care in this area, or in rural areas across the United States, in general.
According to a recent article in Rural Health Information Hub, doctors may be reluctant to consider job opportunities in rural communities due to the anticipation of a heavy workload with a high number of patients, and patients that require more care. Fewer opportunities for continuing education, professional isolation, difficulty taking time off and challenges with maintaining professional boundaries are all reasons doctors may think twice — or more — about serving patients in the foothills.
The impact of a lack of staff on rural health care facilities is significant, as area residents and practitioners may attest. Trickle-down issues stemming from the core problem of minimal staffing may include compromising on quality of care and even some services becoming unavailable.
What’s now known as Community Care on Victoria Lane in Oakhurst was once an urgent care facility, which closed for five days in 2014 and re-emerged as Adventist Community Care.
Adventist Health / Central Valley Network is part of Adventist Health, a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 75 communities in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides compassionate care in 19 hospitals, more than 260 clinics (hospital-based, rural health and physician clinics), 15 home care agencies, seven hospice agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. Visit www.AdventistHealth.org/central-valley for more information.
