A new doctor comes to town

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Last month, Dr. Sara Thurgood and her family of five relocated to Newcastle, joining Monument Health’s team serving the Newcastle and Upton clinics. 
According to Thurgood, her journey in medicine began after receiving her teaching degree from Brigham Young University in Utah, when she decided that a life of teaching wasn’t for her. 
Returning to school in Alabama, Thurgood went on to receive her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham in 2010
before completing her residency in family medicine at the Hunterdon Family Medicine Residency program in 2017 in Flemington, New Jersey, all while being a military wife and mother. 
“When I graduated from Birmingham, I thought that is where we would settle down, but after a rough start with a couple practices, I realized that wasn’t for us,” Thurgood said. “I always loved rural medicine. I have a heart for it, but unfortunately the way it is set up today, it is not a good moneymaker and the only reason the practices are kept is because they are important to the community. 
In February, the clinic Thurgood was working for announced that it would be closing, along with other similar clinics in the area. 
“Rural medicine is under fire, and I ended up having to look for a job over the past winter,” Thurgood said, noting that a stroke of luck brought her to Newcastle. 
“I got a text while at a hockey tournament for my daughter in Maryland, and she (the texter) asked if I would be interested in a job in the Rocky Mountains. She meant the Black Hills,” Thurgood said. “I was interested, so we continued visiting the next week and I became very intrigued. We started talking to people up here in Wyoming, and the rest is history. “
According to Monument Health’s website, Thurgood is a full-scope family medicine doctor and has experience providing care to children, infants and women. Thurgood said that family medicine was the perfect fit for her because she not only could help a variety of people but also utilize her love for obstetrics. 
“When I first started med school, I thought I would be an OBGYN, but I quickly realized I loved every aspect of medicine,” Thurgood said. “My early training focused on women’s health specifically, but when I realized that wasn’t necessarily the right fit, I changed my focus to family medicine. I realized I could take that interest with me and do other things involving women and children’s health.” 
Through her work, Thurgood said, she has developed a passion for preventive care and the mental health aspect of health care. She noted that she is specifically close to suicide prevention after losing a brother to suicide. 
“I am a fierce advocate for prevention and awareness. … This was definitely a factor in coming here because I knew I would be needed. I have experience in and a passion for suicide prevention, and I think my skills and experience could benefit this community,” Thurgood said, mentioning
the high suicide rate in Wyoming, compared with other less rural states. “I want to be somewhere where I can do the most work and make the biggest difference.” 
And making a difference is what Thurgood is all about. The young doctor said that her main objective is to work with and educate her patients on what is best for them and their health overall. 
“I am passionate about prevention and awareness when it comes to a patient’s health. I always said if I am doing my job right, then I will make myself obsolete. I want to empower the patients and motivate them to take care of themselves,” Thurgood said. “If they are doing the right things, they should only have to see me once a year.” 
As part of her desire to help people achieve the healthiest “them” possible, Thurgood said, she has developed a love for helping people achieve their weight-loss goals. She said that she had struggled with her weight, and the topic is near and dear to her heart. 
“I was overweight. I had weight-loss surgery and lost almost 100 pounds. I am very open about it and the amazing process I went through as a patient. I offer the counseling and preparation for weight-loss surgery, which is a lengthy process,” Thurgood said, adding that she has other weight-loss tools “in her belt.”
Overall, Thurgood said, the most important aspect of the health care she provides is educating the patients about what is going on with their health. 
“I want them to understand why we do what we do and what we don’t do. In medicine, I realize that is the most important role, just like a teacher,” Thurgood said. 
Part of that is being an “eternal student” and constantly consuming more knowledge in health and
well-being. 
Although she has only been here a little over a month, Thurgood said, she cannot imagine a better rural facility to work for and a better community to become a part of. 
“I enjoy the small-town feel. People do know each other, and they care about each other quite a bit. You hear about southern hospitality where I grew up, you hear that they are so nice and they are, but it is more of a passive aggressive hospitality,” Thurgood said. “Here, it feels genuine. People have been very welcoming and embracing. I went to Hannah’s Heavenly Treats to get donuts for the office and told them where I worked. The gal said that she knew what everyone liked and filled the box accordingly. She was actually thinking about what others like, and that is pretty cool. I have always practiced rural medicine, but I have never lived in rural America. It is a very new experience but very rewarding.”