LAKEPORT, Calif. – Monday, March 30 was National Doctors’ Day – the perfect opportunity to thank Sutter Lakeside physicians for their dedication and service.

“The lives of so many people in our community have been touched by our remarkable physicians,” says Sutter Lakeside Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “Doctors are committed to maintaining our health and well-being. They support us during milestone moments in our lives by delivering babies; treating sickness; and helping us stay healthy through wellness checks, screenings, immunizations and education.”

In 2015, the residents of Lake County have access to more local doctors than ever before. In 2014, Sutter Lakeside added new physicians to the Emergency Department and Hospitalist Group to meet the community’s health care needs.

One of these new physicians is John Stein, M.D., who practices emergency medicine in the Emergency Department. He joined Sutter Lakeside in July 2014.

“I welcomed the opportunity to work in a rural environment while helping Sutter provide better regional care for our patients,” he says. “The Sutter Lakeside medical staff is wonderfully collegial.”

The Hospitalist Group is now part of Pacific Inpatient Medical Group. Hospitalists are board-certified physicians who specialize in caring for hospitalized patients. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to evaluate and treat patients admitted to Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

“Our Hospitalist Group is committed to providing the highest quality of care to our patients,” says Hospitalist Director and Chief of Staff James Pretorius, M.D. “We follow the latest protocols and participate in ongoing education to provide the same care at Sutter Lakeside that a patient would receive at a larger hospital. When we can't provide the level of care a patient needs, we facilitate transfer to the best specialists available. We also coordinate all of the hospital care with the local primary care physicians and clinics.”

At a time when Lake County residents are seeking more physician services than ever before, the Sutter Lakeside staff is ramped up and ready to meet the challenge.

“We thank our outstanding physician team members for everything they do for our patients,” says Sutter Lakeside Director of Medical Affairs Diane Pege, M.D. “We’re fortunate to have a highly skilled team of doctors who are dedicated to providing the highest level of care for our community.”

To learn more about Sutter Lakeside, please visit www.sutterlakeside.org/ .