Ep 180: Beyond city limits: Building a rural pancreatic practice with Dr. Cate Straub

Summary Dr. Amy hosts a discussion with Dr. Cate Straub about community and rural surgery. Dr. Straub shares her journey from being an East Coast city girl to practicing in rural North Central Washington, specifically in Wenatchee. Dr. Straub describes her experience establishing a pancreatic surgery practice in a rural setting. She explains how she built the practice by working with interventional gastroenterologists, creating protocols, and marketing her services throughout the region. She emphasizes the importance of mentorship and maintaining relationships with larger medical centers. The discussion explores the benefits and challenges of community surgery. Dr. Straub highlights how rural surgeons can shape their practice based on community needs while maintaining work-life balance. She discusses the importance of building trust within the community and establishing relationships with tertiary centers. Dr. Straub shares her involvement in advocacy work, particularly through the American College of Surgeons (ACS). She emphasizes the importance of understanding hospital operations and government processes to effectively advocate for healthcare needs. She discusses her transition to a surgical hospitalist role while maintaining her pancreatic practice. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the future of community surgery and the importance of training programs. Dr. Straub highlights the expansion of rural surgery tracks in residency programs and the need for debt relief programs to encourage surgeons to practice in rural areas. Chapters Introduction and Background00:00:00 Dr. Amy introduces Dr. Cate Straub, whom she met at an ACS conference. Dr. Straub describes her journey from the East Coast to practicing in Wenatchee, Washington, a semi-rural center far from tertiary facilities. Building a Rural Pancreatic Surgery Practice00:02:43 Dr. Straub details how she established a pancreatic surgery practice by collaborating with interventional gastroenterologists, creating protocols, and marketing her services throughout the region up to the Canadian border. Community Surgery Benefits and Challenges00:06:11 Discussion of rural patient demographics, their reluctance to travel, and the importance of maintaining relationships with tertiary centers. Dr. Straub emphasizes the need to put ego aside and focus on patient needs. Mid-Career Evolution and Mentorship00:29:59 Dr. Straub discusses the transition in finding satisfaction from achievement to purpose, emphasizing the importance of teaching and mentoring others in the medical community. Advocacy and Leadership00:34:03 Dr. Straub shares her involvement in advocacy work through ACS, emphasizing the importance of understanding both hospital operations and government processes. Action Items Dr. Straub established collaboration with interventional gastroenterologists to support pancreatic surgery program00:03:59 Dr. Straub created protocols for benign pancreas program surveillance00:04:13 Dr. Straub developed marketing strategy by visiting healthcare facilities between Wenatchee and Canadian border00:04:39 Dr. Straub established mentorship relationship with Dr. Adnan Al-Sayedi at Virginia Mason00:05:02 Dr. Straub helped establish peer counseling process in the operating room00:28:07 Dr. Straub plans to transition some administrative roles while maintaining focus on acute care surgery