Biography
Dr. Sarah Fatland joined the VCC team in 2020 as the Chief Medical Officer for the organization. Her drive to work as a physician began at age 5, inspired by the work of her grandfather. After completing her medical training in 2011, she had the opportunity to practice the full spectrum of family medicine in a rural community- inpatient, outpatient, prenatal, Emergency Room, and more.
After relocating to New Zealand in 2014, she spent two years working in a family medicine clinic there. This experience helped shape Dr. Fatland’s outlook on health and healthcare systems and delivery. It was in this environment that she really began to understand the important role the community plays in its overall health. This new outlook drove her desire to work in an Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), like VCC, upon returning to the United States. She believes strongly that the care that FQHCs are able to deliver, alongside the Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) model, is the best delivery system of healthcare. Working in this arrangement allows her to work closely with patients to better understand their needs, their health goals, and to provide accurate information so those patient goals might be achieved.
Dr. Fatland is passionate about the whole person and how the various systems integrate to contribute to health, making Family Medicine the best fit for her as a physician. She believes that it is important to understand that patients all have very individual health goals, and that listening and understanding those goals is what is going to develop the best plan for achieving them. She also believes that patient needs are best served through proper education and resources, and works closely with her patients to help them achieve health success through compassionate care.