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Patient-Centered Care at McFarland Clinic

“Physician-owned and led means we are focused on what is best for the patient. Care is between the patient and the doctor.” – Dr. Semira Ramic, Neurology, McFarland Clinic

By Susanna Baxter on January 15, 2019

Angie was diagnosed and treated for colon cancer at McFarland Clinic
Courtesy of McFarland Clinic

Our promise of “Extraordinary Care, Every Day” is more than a slogan. It is our guide for the kind of care patients expect from us and we expect for our family and friends.

Angie’s Story

Angie’s story is remarkable but not unique. At least not for McFarland. Our coordinated response means specialists always work together with caring efficiency to diagnose and treat our patients. Angie was just 40 years old when her McFarland primary care physician Dr. Valerie Torgerson acted on research showing colorectal cancer on the rise in young people. She recommended Angie do a simple home test for colon cancer. She agreed and within a few days discovered that it showed blood in her stool.

The importance of having a primary care doctor is key in the prevention and early detection of many cancers or disease processes. ~ Dr. Valerie Torgerson

The McFarland team proceeded quickly. First, gastroenterologist Dr. Bryan Graveline performed a colonoscopy and discovered a cancerous tumor. Next, general surgeon Dr. Greg Sachs removed the tumor. Finally, oncologist Dr. Joseph Merchant saw her through six months of oral chemotherapy. Thanks to that rapid and thorough response, Angie is healthy and cancer-free. 

“The care I received was phenomenal,” she says. “We’re very fortunate to have such a great team of doctors and resources. I wouldn’t see any reason to travel any great distance for care when you have a great resource like this in our community.”

Read more at McFarlandClinic.com/angiesstory.

Serving Entire Families in Central Iowa

Generations of central Iowa families partner with us for their health care, from birth to elder care. McFarland obstetricians, pediatricians, internal medicine physicians and many other board-certified specialists work together to deliver the highest-quality experience. Take it from this trio of central Iowa women.

Pat, Eva and Libby shared a genetic predisposition to osteoarthritis in the knee that would eventually cripple them, but it hit the three generations at different ages. Eva was 85 before she finally had her knee replaced, and daughter Pat was 68. Pat’s daughter, Libby, was just 47.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Sneller treated each, beginning with a range of pain management options. “I tell all my patients, I can let you know when you are medically ready to have surgery, but you have to tell me when you are mentally ready.” That takes awhile for Iowa patients. “Iowans are tough,” he says. “They often don’t even make an appointment until the pain is awful.”

Pat’s memory sums it up. “When I got up in the middle of the night and cried all the way to the bathroom, I knew it was time to have surgery.”

Eva agrees. “Dr. Sneller is excellent, and he has a neat sense of humor. “He told me quietly one day that he had put my knee in backwards so I could kick my own butt!”

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