Welcoming Dr. Matt Oettinger
This month, we are incredibly proud to introduce our new Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Matt Oettinger.
A Rocky Mount native, husband and father of two daughters, Dr. Oettinger is a visionary leader who brings big picture thinking and a heart for caring for underserved communities to our NeighborHealth family. He brings 15+ years of visionary leadership experience that will help shape the future of our great organization.
Q: When did you know you wanted to become a doctor?
A: For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a doctor and a dad when I grew up. I’ve always loved science, and I knew I wanted to help people. While attending the NC School of Science and Math in high school, I started thinking about what that would mean for my career. I started reading books about missionary doctors working overseas, took a few trips, and spent one college summer working in a small village in India. There, we partnered with a local hospital that took us to remote villages with no running water. We brought food, led vacation Bible school sessions, and provided healthcare clinics to meet the needs of the community. At the time, I envisioned my career would ultimately take me to an international village hospital where I could serve a similar community.
Q: Why did you choose family medicine as your specialty?
A: After starting medical school, I chose family medicine because I believed deeply in the relational aspect of it, and really liked the idea of caring for an entire family of all different ages and health conditions. When I completed my residency, I decided I wanted to get some real-world experience before moving overseas. I began working in Knightdale as a family physician for UNC Healthcare. I also loved working in the hospital setting, so I worked part-time in Chatham County serving a rural community hospital.
Q: How did your career path lead you to NeighborHealth Center?
A: Early in my career, my wife Tiffany and I adopted our daughter, Zoe, at age 5 from Ethiopia. While starting our parenting journey and giving Zoe time to acclimate to her new family and surroundings, I took some time to explore my gifts, and what God had called me to do. I decided to pursue my MBA, which sparked a passion in me for problem-solving, innovative thinking, and systems leadership.
For the next 10 years, I spent my career working in various healthcare settings – from startups to population health organizations to those serving complex Medicare and Medicaid patients. I witnessed firsthand how social drivers of health and limited access to healthcare drive chronic health problems. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to lead clinical teams in developing solutions to address some of these challenges – and to improve the health and lives of thousands of patients.
When the opportunity to join the NeighborHealth Center team presented itself, I met with Daniel, heard his vision, and toured the clinic. I quickly understood that this was the perfect place for me to bring the experiences and skills I’ve learned to an organization with incredible mission and potential. And, although my career hasn’t yet taken me overseas as I’d expected it would as a young man, the opportunity to serve such a diverse community here at NeighborHealth really brings my career goals full circle. I’m so excited to be here.
Q: Now that you’re here, what goals do you have for yourself and the organization?
A: My first few weeks here have been so exciting. I’ve spent time shadowing our providers and it has been a great way to get to know everyone and witness the incredible care and services we offer. I’m honored to work alongside Dr. Doug Briggs and the remarkable team he has built, and to follow his footsteps as Chief Medical Officer – we have so many opportunities to grow and serve our community.
With that said, I have big goals and dreams for NeighborHealth. The work we do is so important and there are so many who need our help. My top priorities for NeighborHealth are to achieve clinical and operational excellence – meaning let’s continue to deliver the absolute best clinical care to our neighbors in the most efficient way so that we’re being good stewards of the generous resources we are given. My next priority is continued growth – what more can we do for our neighbors that we’re not doing today, and how can we improve access to our care? This could mean extending our hours, adding a new site of care, and/or engaging volunteers to extend the scope of services we can provide. There’s so much we can do, which is why it’s such an exciting time to be here. I’m honored to be part of such a mission-driven organization, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us and those we serve.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
A: I enjoy spending time with my wife Tiffany, and our two daughters, Zoe and Annalise. I am a Scout leader for my daughter’s troop, so I enjoy camping and all the outdoorsy things. To stay active, I’m a runner and have participated in ultramarathon events. For the past 8 years, I’ve been a volunteer physician for Samaritan Health Center, a free clinic in Durham, NC and I recently sat on their Board of Directors. Lastly, cooking (well, mostly grilling or smoking meat) is another pastime I enjoy.
