As a teenager growing up on the Oregon coast, Jeff Absalon, MD, FACP, put himself through school, working construction jobs in California each summer.
He knows the rewards of working physically hard and mentally smart to get the job done right — traits that should serve him well in his role as Samaritan Medical Group’s newest physician leader.
As senior medical director of the Acute Care, Hospitalists and Medical Specialties divisions he oversees operationsat locations across our three-county region, ensuring value-based care is at the forefront of all he does.
Through three decades of work, he is familiar with the ethos of Oregon’s diverse communities — from urban to rural, coastal, gorge, valley and high desert. Now, he is on a quest to learn about Samaritan.
“My first priority is to get to know the services we offer and meet the caregivers,” he said. “I want to be a student first so I can gain a good understanding of the culture and the people doing the work.”
His next priority is to “focus on improvement while sustaining the great things that are already happening, and supporting our care teams,” he said. “That is what really inspires me — making sure the people who provide care are healthy and supported.”
Ultimately, he strives to improve access and health outcomes through strong physician-hospital alignment that supports the success of those who care for others.
After earning a bachelor’s degree at Lewis & Clark College, Dr. Absalon obtained his medical degree from Oregon Health & Science University, where he also completed his internship and residency. He practiced at locations throughout the state before settling in Bend in 2002. He has seen his professional life change as he gained a greater understanding of health care delivery.
“As an internal medicine physician, I loved and cherished my time with patients,” he said. “The bulk of my career was as a practicing physician. Then a number of years ago I was drawn into physician leadership and have experienced progressive roles in administration. My career is now fully as a physician leader, which was not my intention, but Idiscovered that I have a passion to serve in this broad capacity.”
He acknowledges health care is currently under strain, exacerbated by the pandemic, making it especially important to be a good steward of resources, including people.
“I will partner with administrators and clinicians to focus on providing high value to patients and the organization,” he said.
Dr. Absalon was instrumental in developing a regional physician leaders’ group within the Hospital Association of Oregon and throughout the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its purpose was to share information, including clinical and operational approaches to meeting unprecedented challenges.
“We were staring down the barrel of something we hadn’t seen before,” he explained. “We had to tackle changes daily.”
The group provided input to the governor and the Oregon Health Authority on crisis care guidelines, screening and visitor policies, sharing of ventilators and more. It was through this work that he met Robert Turngren, MD, to whom he now reports.
After serving in leadership roles for 15 years at St. Charles in Bend, he was forming a private consulting business whenthe Samaritan opportunity came up. After doing some research, he halted his consulting business efforts and accepted the role, which combined two openings into one full-time position.
“When I saw Samaritan’s mission is working with the community to improve health, I realized this could be a good fit,” he said. “It’s incredibly wonderful to learn about Samaritan and become a part of this great organization.”
Dr. Absalon has been married to his wife Linda for 34 years. She currently works as a pediatric physical therapist in Central Oregon. Their oldest daughter is also a pediatric physical therapist in Portland, their son is a financial consultant in Bend, daughter-in-law a nurse, and their youngest is halfway through completing a doctorate inpsychology in Portland.
Mountain biking is his favorite activity outside of work, followed by carpentry and remodeling spaces. He also likes to hike, cut firewood and be with family and friends. He and Linda are excited to search for their new home in the Corvallis area.
Looking for a new job? From housekeeping to nursing and accounting to managing, there are a lot of opportunities to explore at Samaritan Health Services.
