Senior Spotlight
Anh Ta, MD | R3
My name is Anh. I am a current R3 and am one of the clinic chiefs at the First Hill clinic. I grew up in Seattle and left to go to medical school in Saint Louis. During my medical training, I always saw myself returning to Seattle to be a part of the vibrant communities that exist in the city. Unfortunately, over the past decade, Seattle has undergone significant transformation that has displaced many of these communities. Even my family has moved out of Seattle to live south in Renton. At First Hill, we continue to serve as the access point to help many of these communities receive care. Some of my patients commute as far as Tacoma because here they feel heard and appreciated. That is why I am proud to be one of the clinic chiefs at First Hill. Along with Giselle, my co-chief, I work every day to optimize access for our patients. I love getting to know all the nurses, administrative staff and residents that work here. We all share a mission to make the clinic a safe place for patients to be. In the future, I hope to take these skills to improve medical quality, access, and equity throughout the region.
Aparna Krishnan, MD | R3
My name is Aparna, and I’m a PGY-3 here at Swedish Family Medicine - First Hill. I’m the clinic chief for the Downtown Family Medicine clinic (DFM) and one of the resident leads for the Homelessness community medicine group. The most meaningful part of my residency experience thus far has been to be a part of DFM and care for and learn alongside our incredibly diverse and vulnerable population. The majority of our patients are homeless or face housing insecurity, and many of them experience other challenges such as being under or uninsured or substance use disorders. Our Homelessness community medicine group has engaged with various community organizations, such as Mary’s Place (a shelter for women, families and children), LIHI and Sound Foundations NW, two groups who have focused on expanding safe and secure homes via the Tiny Home model. Residents have been able to facilitate health educational sessions amongst guests at shelters, and recently participate in a tiny home build. Learning about and engaging with the greater community around DFM has been truly rewarding. I have gained a deeper understanding of unique barriers to health faced by those experiencing homelessness as well as the incredible strengths and willpower within the community. I’m excited to see what this year brings as our group continues to deepen our community partnerships and take part in more advocacy efforts at the city level.
Mallory Davis, md | R3
My name is Mallory, a PGY-3, the Community Medicine Chief, as well as the resident lead of the POCUS interest group (affectionately known as "The Jelly Squad"). Once I got that sweet curvilinear probe in my hand during one of our more formalized ultrasound biometry experiences, I was excited by the potential to improve my skills for ultrasound-augmented physical exam, as well as lower barrier, patient-centered workup across body systems. With the help of many other interested and enthusiastic residents, fellows, and faculty members, we started an extended curriculum in effort to improve our POCUS skills, learn with a multidisciplinary and collaborative group, and ultimately provide more thorough clinical evaluation within the primary care setting. As a National Health Service Corp member, I plan to work in lower resourced settings, and I hope to pair my ultrasound skills with my 3 Areas Of Concentration within my training at Swedish First Hill Family Medicine: HIV Medicine, Addiction Medicine, and Reproductive Health. Our monthly ultrasound sessions have increased my confidence in evaluating for abscesses, IUD positioning, estimating ejection fraction, AAA screening, assessing for ascites and performing paracenteses, and monitoring serial lung exams in patients with COVID and other pulmonary diseases. I am excited to continue learning with my amazing colleagues and patients throughout my time in residency and beyond.