Samaritan Welcomes Pediatrician Leah Swift, DO October 6, 2021 Pediatrician Leah Swift, DO, has joined Samaritan Depoe Bay Clinic. She provides a full range of health care to children from birth through age 18. Dr. Swift earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at Rice University and a medical degree at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed pediatric residency training at Wake Forest University. She chose to pursue pediatrics after college when she saw a dramatic increase in cases of childhood autism spectrum and other neurodevelopmental disorders. “I spent time working with families and children who were affected, and I felt a pull to be part of the solution,” she said. Dr. Swift attended osteopathic medical school and is trained in osteopathic manipulative therapy, which is used to diagnose, treat and prevent illness and injuries by moving the muscles and joints. “I appreciated the holistic roots of the profession, especially in working with chronic medical illnesses for which we have no easy answers,” she said. “In particular, I have found pediatrics to be so fulfilling, from considering the vast developmental and physiologic changes from infancy to childhood to adolescence, to watching healthy children growing at each of their well visits, to partnering with parents to navigate illnesses.” She said Samaritan Health Service’s community atmosphere and living on the coast were a good fit for her professional and family interests. She is looking forward to growing relationships in the community. She is married to Michael Swift, DO, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Samaritan Women’s Health – Newport. “We have two little kids who are soaking in all the new adventures of living at the coast,” Dr. Swift said. In her free time, she enjoys trail running, gardening, exploring local farms and farmers markets, cooking family dinners and making silly faces with her children. She is accepting new patients and can be reached at Samaritan Depoe Bay Clinic at 541-765-3265.
