Meet your MEC: Sarah Webber, MD

‘I've been impressed over and over again how nimble this hospital has been at tackling every challenge it faces’

In this series, we’ll meet members of the Medical Executive Committees (MECs) at Salem and West Valley hospitals so you can get to know the people behind these leadership roles. Next up, Sarah Webber, MD, Primary Care Department Chair for Salem Hospital. Dr. Webber specializes in hospital medicine.

What does it mean to you to be Primary Care Department Chair for Salem Hospital?

Serving as Primary Care Department Chair means serving my community and my colleagues. I am so proud to be a part of the medical staff, and I am thankful every day that I get to work with exceptional providers. Their dedication to patient safety and quality care here in the heart of Oregon inspires me. I have been honored to be a representative and advocate for the medical staff on the Medical Executive Committee, which in turn also gives me the great opportunity to be present in the heart of our dedication to quality and safety.

What made you want to specialize in hospital medicine?

When I first entered medical school, I had just spent two years as an Emergency Department physician scribe and was sure that I wanted to go into Emergency Medicine until I hit my third year rotations at OHSU. About halfway into my third year, I rotated on medicine at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center with an incredible group of attendings and residents. I was intrigued by the diagnostic inquiry but also the more immediate satisfaction and speed of testing and results of therapeutic interventions in the hospital. The rounds were almost as endless as the differentials. Somehow, I loved every minute, as long as my feet could take it. From the wards to the ICU, I was enthralled and I wanted to be just like them. I was inspired by the passion for teaching and investigation but also by the compassion and depth of connection that hospital physicians make in a patient's life. Some may know that I first met Dr. Marc Sunday, our Medical Staff President-Elect, on that rotation as he was my senior resident. He saw a love for internal medicine in me that I couldn't even see myself at that point because I was so focused on a different specialty. He took the time to pull me aside and reflect, giving me the confidence to change my trajectory to internal medicine. I never looked back.

Why are you a doctor?

My mother would tell you I started saying I wanted to be a doctor at the age of four. I've always been a caretaker, although when I was younger that was typically animals and not humans. I wanted to take care of everyone and everything around me and wanted the skills and ability to make a difference. I was drawn to biology and physiology and loved learning how our bodies worked. Also, Alpha-1-Antitrypsin deficiency runs in my family. My grandmother and father were affected, and I carry two abnormal genes as well. I remember my father going to OHSU to participate in research studies with Dr. Alan Barker. From a young age, I viewed doctors as almost magical — having special skills and abilities to help all kinds of people. They were healers and that's what I wanted to be. I wanted that same power to heal and improve the lives of those around me. Once I started down the path to medicine, along every step and even with every challenge, it only felt right. It really can be a calling. It is truly a privilege.

What do you want most for your patients?

To live a life full of joy. To know that when they do face a health crisis, we are here to fight for them, lift them up and guide them. Most of the time, we are trying to cure or improve chronic conditions. But sometimes we are guiding them through challenging discussions and decisions with comfort toward a greater quality of life. I want them to know they have a support team behind them no matter what, that they aren't in this alone. 

What’s a fun fact about you we’d never guess?

I grew up in Canby on a 135-acre family farm. We raised mostly cane berries (originally for Smuckers!) until they stopped accepting fresh fruit. I learned how to drive a berry picker at the age of 8 (yes, one of those big machines you see in the berry fields in the Willamette Valley). My father and I would run the pickers all night on the blackberries, catch a quick nap, and then pick the red raspberries as a family during the day. We also typically had a herd of about 40 beef cattle. One of them I bottle-raised when we were both young and she was our boss cow for many years. We had a variety of other animals. It was a special way to grow up that I am thankful for every day.

Also, during medical school, when I was on rotation in New Zealand, I bungee jumped from the famous Kawarau Bridge, the birthplace of commercial bungee jumping. There was definitely screaming involved.

What are you listening to and watching right now?

I really enjoy the “Freakonomics” podcasts when I'm on a run. Freakonomics also has “Freakonomics, MD,” which is medically focused. They do a great job of looking at problems or topics objectively and presenting the data behind them. Someday, I might catch up on “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” but I got distracted with watching the new “Scrubs” series on the rare chance I get, and it’s so relatable it hurts.

You enjoy hiking and farming. Tell us more!

I do love hiking. My family and I enjoy Silver Falls State Park. Recently, my husband, Chris, and I went on a three-day trail run and hike on the wild and scenic Rogue River National Recreation Trail. We hiked and ran about 36 miles over three days and were out of cell service the entire time. The final part of the trail is still closed due to the fire from last fall so we rafted the final leg. It was restful and restorative. For farming, we have a small property in West Salem, and we raise chickens, ducks, geese, a peacock and a couple emu. I also have seven 30-to-40-foot rows of cane berries that I grow each year to harvest and make my own puree and jams.

What’s a favorite local landmark?

Wildlife Safari. We take our family almost every year. They are a fantastic organization that focuses on conservation and education. We are very lucky to have a place like them here in Oregon. When we went last year, there was a zebra foal, and they have one of the top cheetah breeding programs in the country. My favorite activity is feeding the giraffes. I say it’s for the kids, but it’s really for me.

Best restaurant in the Willamette Valley and your order!

Who doesn't love Word of Mouth and their cinnamon roll pancakes or crème brûlée french toast?

What do you like most about Salem Hospital?

I love the people here. I have made many friends over the years, and the community and culture make this place great. We all work hard and we work together. I truly enjoy being part of the care team and each of us working in our individual roles to take care of patients. I feel very supported by all the staff from the nurses, pharmacists, therapists, care managers, social workers, phlebotomists, imaging techs, lab, security, maintenance, EVS and more. I can't say thank you enough to all the dedicated staff that it takes to keep our hospital working smoothly and thriving. I am proud of our dedication to quality improvement and patient safety. I've been impressed over and over again at how nimble this hospital has been at tackling every challenge it faces. I also enjoy being in the community in which I grew up.

What’s the best advice you ever heard?

I have a few. “A careful history will lead to the diagnosis 80% of the time.” “Listen to your patient; he is telling you the diagnosis,” from Sir William Osler, the father of modern medicine. And “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us,” from Joseph Campbell. That quote has gotten me through many turns in the road that I wasn't expecting and helped me keep moving forward.

You mentioned your mother is your role model.

She has been a pillar of strength for our family. I look to her for how to face challenges and continue forward. She taught me how to give thanks for what you do have and live this life the best we can. My family is my world. I'm the youngest of six children. My husband, Chris Boeholt, and I met in medical school and have been married for 12 years. We have two children, Sierra, 11, and Sage, 8. I feel so blessed by them and it just seems time is moving too quickly. We are trying to soak up every moment we can.

Thank you for sharing with us, Dr. Webber! We look forward to speaking with our next MEC member, Salem Hospital Medical Specialty Department Chair, Brett Mikeska, MD, in our next issue.