Provider: Samuel Defigarelli, MD, MBA

I enjoy the long-term relationship(s) part of primary care.

What is your patient care philosophy?

I started out in healthcare as a housekeeper and have done pretty much every position (even did two semesters of nursing school before finally deciding to go to medical school).  My mother, before she passed, was also heavily into healthcare. Early on she instilled that every position is important and every person is important. I still remember her  saying, “No matter what your title is, you treat everyone equally good.”  I think that’s transitioned over to my patient philosophy too. I tend to enjoy becoming “one” with my patients and together building relationships as a team. In my experience(s) this has been the best way, and I do typically get a lot of positive reinforcement.

What would you like people to know about you as a physician/provider?

Earned my MD degree from the Caribbean (UMHS – St. Kitts) and really, really enjoyed my time there. I think stepping outside of the bubble I was living in for the entirety of my previous life (San Diego California, surfing every day and doing little of much anything else) was what really opened my eyes to the world. Arriving in “the islands” and spending the approx. 2.5yrs there really made me appreciate family/culture and how our differences can actually be assets. I could go on and on about this, but eventually I’d come to talk bad about US culture/politics and there’s no place for that here. After St. Kitts I did my residency at LSU and also acquired an MBA in health care management from CSU.

How does your work improve lives?

I have found that the easiest way to improve lives is through partnership whereas both the clinician and the patient are without titles/status. They are simply two people working together to be better.

What are some interesting facts about you?

This would be the hardest part for me. I hate talking about myself! But…I dunno…I’ve got two Aussies (brother and sister) that I currently spend all my excess time with. They are pretty much my world outside of work. In my younger life, I surfed competitively for a number of years…not so much anymore. I do enjoy hiking and everything outdoors. No kids….Divorced…New to the area, etc.