Dr. William Blair

Family Medicine
479 Swansea Mall Dr., Swansea, MA
508-973-1570

Clinical interests: Pediatrics, substance abuse, sports medicine, chronic mental illness, full spectrum care

What inspired you to become a physician? Why did you choose your area of care?
I was inspired to become a physician while working in the mental health field. Witnessing the co-morbid conditions that exacerbated mental health conditions, I realized I wanted to treat not only mental health but the physical conditions that make mental health problems harder to treat. This lead to my focus on family medicine. Family medicine allows me to follow patients and their families through various life stages and treat them as whole people and part of a family unit. 

Was there a particular moment when being a physician became ‘more than medicine’ for you? 
The moment that stands out for me was the first time I treated a newborn baby, a mother, and two grandparents all in one visit. In this visit, I truly saw how vital and precious it is to understand my patients’ family and culture. 

What is your personal philosophy of care?
I believe strongly that physicians should work with patients and their families to make mutual decisions about the best way to improve their health based on patients’ resources and values. 

In your opinion, what matters most to patients?
I believe my patients value consistency, reliability, availability, trust and mutual decision-making. Beyond this, I aim to be emotionally present for every visit and to meet patients where they are. 

Why did you choose to be a Southcoast Physician?
During my interviews at Southcoast, I was impressed by the collegial working environment, the focus on full spectrum care, and the freedom to pursue my own clinical interests. 

What do you like to do in your personal time?
I love to spend time with my family, travel, photography (mostly my kids) and golf.

What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m a decent poker player.

Dr. Timothy Byon

Family Medicine
2444 East Main Rd., Portsmouth, RI
401-638-4817

Clinical interests: Preventive care, urgent care, community health

What inspired you to become a physician? Why did you choose your area of care?
My passion to help patients and the community is what guided me toward becoming a physician. I chose family medicine because of its versatility, providing comprehensive medical care to all genders and ages.

Was there a particular moment when being a physician became ‘more than medicine’ for you?
I recall during my medical school ER rotation, a 6-year-old girl was in a tragic car accident. Unfortunately, she did not survive her injuries and passed away in front of me. The overwhelming grief and sorrow that fell upon not only her family but also the medical team taking care of her transformed my view about being a medical provider. 

What is your personal philosophy of care?
My personal philosophy of care is to treat all patients as if they were my own family members. I ask myself, “How would I treat this patient if he/she was my grandparent, parent, spouse or child?” 

In your opinion, what matters most to patients? As a primary care physician, I believe patients care most about communication. Communication is achieved through compassion, empathy and patience.

Why did you choose to be a Southcoast Physician?
I chose Southcoast because they deliver nationally recognized care that is locally provided. In addition, Southcoast recognizes the importance of physician work-life balance. 

What do you like to do in your personal time?
I enjoy spending time with my wife and four children. Tennis and riding bikes are ways we stay active. Given that we are new to the area, we are excited to go camping and explore the local areas.

What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I once won six large teddy bears at my local county fair. 

Dr. Susan Cornell

Obstetrics & Gynecology
543 North St., New Bedford, MA
508-973-2208

 Clinical interests: Abnormal uterine bleeding, contraception

What inspired you to become a physician? Why did you choose your area of care?
I have always wanted to be a physician. I was inspired by my primary care doctor while I was growing up. I loved watching him provide a full scope of care for all my family members. I chose to enter OB/GYN because I love the variety in patients and procedures. Taking care of women throughout their lives motivates me every day. 

What is your personal philosophy of care?
I feel I am here to provide care to women no matter their age or background. My job is to listen to the patients and hear their stories.

In your opinion, what matters most to patients?
Personal care, ease of discussion, and confidence in the delivery of medicine matter to patients. I value each person’s story and history. I have found that people are able to easily open up to me and feel confident in my dedication to them. 

Why did you choose to be a Southcoast Physician?
I grew up on Cape Cod, and when I found this position available in this area I was drawn to it. After seeing the hospital and meeting the other physicians and support staff, I knew I would be comfortable working here.

What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I have wanted to be a doctor since age 5, and I have been working towards this since then.

What do you like to do in your personal time?
I like to spend time with my family. I enjoy going to the beach and being by the water.

Dr. Robert Fruggiero

Family Medicine
1030 President Ave., Fall River, MA
508-973-9600

Clinical interests: Primary care, sports medicine, behavioral health

What inspired you to become a physician? Why did you choose your area of care?
Becoming a physician was more than just a decision of which career path to take; it was my calling in life. There is no single inspiring event, but rather a multitude of experiences that drew me to medicine. While my love of science may have initially garnered an interest in medicine, it was the long-held tradition of caring for those in need that offered the most profound inspiration.  Choosing family medicine as a field of practice was an obvious extension of this idea.

Was there a particular moment when being a physician became ‘more than medicine’ for you?
Several times early in my training I was part of a “goals of care” discussion for a patient in the hospital. Discussing poor prognoses with patients and their families is more than just a “part of the job.” In those moments, being a physician means being a healer, a teacher and even a friend. 

What is your personal philosophy of care?
Always do what is right for the patient, no matter the difficulty of the situation. 

In your opinion, what things matter most to patients? How do you deliver on these?
Honesty, dedication and compassion. I make a promise to all my patients to be as diligent with their care as possible, to always be transparent and prompt, and to always remain empathetic to every situation.

Why did you choose to be a Southcoast Physician?
In order to provide the best care possible, I knew that I needed to join an organization with the utmost integrity, efficiency and professionalism — an organization that cares about its patients and employees and fosters a caring work environment. Southcoast fulfills all of these requirements and I am thrilled to be a part of it. 

What do you like to do in your personal time?
I enjoy playing piano, cooking, reading and spending time with my partner. 

What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I am a classically trained pianist, but I love, and now mostly play, blues and jazz. 

Dr. Ernesto Gonzalez

Obstetrics & Gynecology
543 North St., New Bedford, MA
508-973-2208 

Clinical interests: High-risk pregnancy, ultrasound, contraception, infertility, gynecology

What inspired you to become a physician? Why did you choose your area of care?
I was drawn to medicine by both my early interactions with healthcare and the analytical nature of medicine. The more I delved into medicine, I learned how much I enjoyed talking with patients, analyzing and synthesizing the information learned about them, and coming up with a diagnosis and plan. Ultimately, I decided to become an OG/GYN because I found that this field provided a unique opportunity to care for women at various life stages. I enjoy being able to provide them with not just an evaluation and diagnosis but also the ability to offer surgical options that could significantly improve their quality of life.

Was there a particular moment when being a physician became ‘more than medicine’ for you?
I can think of many experiences that have humbled me and have reminded me that being a physician is more than just medicine. I believe this is something that we should be reminded of frequently.

What is your personal philosophy of care?
I believe that it is important to always have a conversation with patients and use my time with them to not only counsel and provide education, but also to learn their goals of care. Lastly, I believe it is important to consider a patient’s cultural and socio-economic background, which can provide a framework for how we approach their care.

In your opinion, what things matter most to patients?
I believe that shared decision-making and having a provider who actively listens are the most important things to patients. I deliver on these by creating an open discussion and actively listening to their concerns about management and discussing options in detail to allow us to make a decision that we are both happy with.

Why did you choose to be a Southcoast Physician?
I’m excited to be part of a team that values differences.

What do you like to do in your personal time?
I enjoy travelling, cooking, hiking and exploring the arts (theatre, movies and local art shows).

What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in San Diego, CA.                   

Dr. Christopher Zambrano

Cardiothoracic Surgery
300 Hanover St., Fall River, MA
208 Mill Rd., Fairhaven, MA
1076 North Main St., Providence, RI
508-973-7774

Clinical interests: Double arterial revascularization, mitral valve repair, off-pump CABG, heart failure

What inspired you to become a physician? Why did you choose your area of care?
Since I was young, I have always sought to put others before myself. I felt the best way to express that was through medicine. I chose cardiothoracic surgery because it is how I define medicine: taking care of patients in their time of need, when the stakes are the highest. Patient disease and management can be very challenging from a pre- and postoperative perspective. It is a field in transition with the potential for amazing growth in the 21st century.

Was there a particular moment when being a physician became ‘more than medicine’ for you?
It has been everyday moments growing close to patients and getting to know people. Every patient has so much more to offer than their disease process, and I try to learn from them. Being a physician has to be about more than medicine when you are dealing with the sickest of the sickest.

What is your personal philosophy of care?
You have to always put the patient first and, above all, do no harm. Many patients and families come into the hospital after true hardship and it can be one of the worst days of their lives. It is important to effectively communicate and be there for patients in families in their time of need.

In your opinion, what things matter most to patients?
The thing that matters most to patients is being heard and strong communication. Taking the time to discuss patient care and tending to patient concerns is an overlooked aspect of healthcare. It is a goal of mine to always be available for patients and families.

Why did you choose to be a Southcoast Physician?
I chose Southcoast because of its excellent reputation in the community and its amazing growth over the years. There are amazing physicians here that I am excited to work with and learn from.

What do you like to do in your personal time?
I love spending time with my family, staying active and travelling.

What is one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I am a former Division 1 college football player.

To find a Southcoast provider, visit southcoast.org/doctors.

Health+ Fall 2019