By Susan McBain
New OMC addition, Dr. Fleming with Quinn and Sofia.
Dr. Tony Giefer of Orcas Medical Center has announced that Dr. Camille Fleming will be joining him and Jean Bried, PA-C, at Orcas Medical Center later this year.
Camille Fleming, MD, MBA, is an experienced family physician with a passion for promoting wellness, developing a relationship with each patient, and providing high-quality health care throughout the life span. She says, “I want to help people get and stay healthy. I have a team approach to health care, which starts with the patient as leader and goal-setter in working toward better health. Few of us, myself included, have a completely healthy lifestyle, but each day we can work in that direction.”
She has spent the last decade living and practicing in the small community of Marshall, Michigan. She says, “My husband John and I prefer to live and work in a small community. As a family physician I see how community life influences health and well being.” As a mother of three children—Anneke 13, Sofia, 10, and Quinn 7—she also understands the needs and concerns of parents and families. She has a strong interest in women’s health and pediatrics and plans to provide prenatal care on the island.
Dr. Fleming graduated from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York, in 1997. She was a resident in family medicine at St. Anthony Hospital in Denver until 2000, and also served as a faculty physician. Her residency was followed by a year-long fellowship in women’s health care at the University of Colorado, which included experience in gynecological care, obstetrical care, and obstetrical surgery.
She began her busy family practice at Marshall Internal and Family Medicine in 2001. The practice, based at Oaklawn Hospital, included outpatient, inpatient medicine, surgery, and obstetric care. In 2003–2004, she was also a faculty physician at William Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Michigan, where she helped establish a women’s health curriculum for the Family Medicine Residency.
Along the way she picked up an MBA degree (Master of Business Administration) focused on health issues, which has helped her understand and articulate the importance of both business and patient-care aspects of health care administration. Her business experience also includes several years as a co-owner of the Marshall practice.
She was drawn into medicine through her job as a patient educator in a health clinic during college. She says, “I loved the one-on-one interaction. And I love working with the whole range of patient ages. My youngest patient is one day old, and my oldest patient recently came to my office with cupcakes for her 99th birthday!”
Dr. Fleming’s whole family is looking forward to the move to Orcas Island. They all love the outdoors and the friendly feel of a small community. John is a hiker, biker, kayaker, and licensed architect, and the children were delighted to know that Orcas, like Marshall, has a big parade for the Fourth of July!
She says, “My basic philosophy is that relationship is really important in medicine. I feel very honored to be in relationship with my patients, and I think it’s an important part of my effectiveness as a physician. After working with patients, I can often walk into a room and know if someone is okay or not. That’s why the personal relationship is so important.”
