This is Tehama: Dr. Deborah Sutcliffe, Tehama County’s Direct Primary Care Provider, Has “Time in Her Schedule for Compassion”

The ancient word “Tehama” once meant a place where rivers could be crossed. With our county’s rich currents of history, happenings and hope, this is our crossing place today — where we meet to celebrate our beautiful Tehama County.

Job burnout from high-stress careers is not unheard of, but it is alarming to hear of it occurring in the first year of someone’s profession, or before they have even started. Burnout is a growing problem for medical students, first-year physicians and physicians of all ages. Caring for patients is the motivation behind any medical student’s ambitions, but in today’s current medical world, most physicians have less than 15 minutes to spend with each patient or become in danger of being labeled as “inefficient” and losing pay. Doctors are spending two hours on a computer for every one hour with a patient.

Direct Primary Care is a 21st-century solution operating with old-fashioned principles, in stark contrast to modern “assembly-line medicine.” DPC is a cash-only model of health care with a low monthly fee. It is also a refreshing approach to medicine that recalls the “family doctor of old.”

Dr. Deborah Sutcliffe of Red Bluff describes DPC as physicians working for patients, without third-party interference, such as insurance companies or government bureaucracy. Whereas a patient can normally see their doctor for only one complaint at a time, Dr. Sutcliffe’s patients can talk to her about their rash, runny nose and even their squeaky front door anxiety. As a family physician, she cares for people of all ages with both chronic and acute medical conditions. Her patients have access to wholesale medication pricing and deeply discounted laboratory tests.

Putting the physician/patient relationship back in the driver’s seat took place almost two years ago for Dr. Sutcliffe, who has been practicing medicine since 1993. While many physicians are entering data and staring at a computer screen during an exam, Dr. Sutcliffe gets to look her patients in the eye and truly listen to them. Compassion is not a measure of success when dealing with insurance companies or government regulation, but Dr. Sutcliffe operates in the reality that compassion can truly soothe, if not heal.

It is a two-woman show at Dr. Sutcliffe’s office, with some people calling to speak with Carol, the medical assistant. A friend, who is a patient of Dr. Sutcliffe’s, described a recent health scare. She wasn’t feeling well and had both of her young children in the car with her. She was able to sit in her car while Carol ran out into the parking lot to assist her. Dr. Sutcliffe later kept in touch with her by phone. All patients have access to Dr. Sutcliffe’s cell phone number, and she has been known to make house calls.

An interesting phenomenon with DPC patients is that their experience with having a doctor “on call” reassures them and their “needs” decrease. When they do go into the office, they get anywhere from a half an hour to an hour and a half of quality attention. These patients feel cared for as they leave their appointment. If they need hospitalization, Dr. Sutcliffe personally admits them. This practice is virtually unheard of with most physicians today.

Red Bluff is fortunate to have a DPC option. Dr. Sutcliffe says she wakes up with an eagerness to work with her patients, to offer the compassion that is part of her calling. We can only hope that young medical students will have that same opportunity in their future. Feel free to give Dr. Sutcliffe a call at (530) 529-4190.