The Good Ol' Days | Dr. Jeffery
Story 177

At the Adventist Health Sonora Foundation’s annual gala, the Distinguished Physician Award is presented to an Adventist Health Sonora physician for providing exceptional care, demonstrating outstanding collegiality and embodying the spirit of Adventist Health’s mission to live God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Physicians who receive this award are among the best in the country in their field, advocate for health equity and serve as role models for the next generation of physicians.

This year, the 2^nd Annual Distinguished Physician Award recognized a provider whose remarkable dedication and kindness has made a lasting impression on the Mother Lode community: Jason Jeffery, MD.

Dr. Jeffery found his way to medicine only after training as a biologist and earning a master’s degree in a decidedly different field: the nervous system and behavior of crickets.

“I decided I preferred people rather than insects,” he jokes.

Dr. Jefferey felt more called to the practice of medicine, particularly primary care, because of the meaningful relationships he has the opportunity to develop with his patients and their families.

“I have thousands of interactions with patients in a year, and because I have been here 10 years, I have a shared history with my patients,” Dr. Jeffery explains. “There are rewarding moments along those journeys when I know I am making a positive difference, and there are gut-wrenching ones, too. The best thing is just getting to know people over the years.”

His patients are quick to remark about Dr. Jeffery’s kind, personal approach to care. Since he began serving the Sonora community as an internal medicine physician in 2014, he has made a remarkable impact on countless patients, which was underscored earlier this year when we asked patients to submit thank you notes to providers in honor of National Doctors’ Day, observed annually in March. Dozens of patients wrote in to thank Dr. Jeffery specifically, nearly all of them noting how he made them feel listened to and sincerely cared for.

Though widely and uniquely beloved, Dr. Jeffery is the first to argue that he shouldn’t be singled out as exceptional.

“All of my colleagues work so hard, from my medical assistant to the front office staff to my fellow physicians,” he says. “The whole team is just as important as the individual. I rely on them, and I have been blessed to be here.”

Written by Jaquelyn Lugg, Marketing and Communications Manager, Adventist Health Sonora