Dr. Fields and family during a vacation to Disney. Dr. Fields and her family.
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and when I met the team, it just felt right.” She’ s been there ever since, thriving in a role that allows her to build long-term relationships with patients while balancing her home life.
After six years in primary care, she has cultivated deep, personal connections with her patients, bonds that go far beyond chart notes and lab results.“ My patients have become like family,” she said.“ They ask about my kids, bring little gifts and share their lives with me. It’ s incredibly heartwarming.”
Now working part-time, she is intentional about being fully present wherever she is, whether with patients or her family.“ If I’ m going to be working, I want to be busy,” she said.“ I want my patients to know that while my family is important, so are they. When I’ m there, I’ m fully there.”
What she enjoys most, she said, is direct patient care and seeing progress unfold in real time.“ It’ s rewarding to talk to someone about changes they need to make, and then months later see how they’ ve taken it to heart and improved their health,” she said.“ That’ s what really gets me. Yes, there’ s burnout, especially with charting and administrative work, but when you look at the human side of it, that face-to-face care, it’ s all worth it.”
Outside of work, her life is full – and joyfully loud. Her family shares a love of music; her husband plays nearly every instrument, and their 11-year-old sons are learning piano and guitar at School of Rock. A couple of years ago, Dr. Fields picked up the drums herself.“ We’ re working on our family band,” she laughed. Their youngest, Riley, now 2, is the spirited center of it all.“ She’ s obsessed with Minnie Mouse and all things pink,” she said fondly.“ You can tell she’ s the baby of the family.”
The family loves to travel, from road trips to visit national parks with her parents, to frequent adventures at Disney World.“ I’ m a huge Disney fan and amusement park fan,” she admitted.“ We go more often than I’ d like to admit.”
When she needs quiet, she finds it in movement.“ I love jogging
Dr. Fields with friends at her wedding.
or long walks with a podcast,” she said.“ It’ s my time to recharge.”
Today, she finds herself exactly where she wants to be, in a role that balances purpose and challenge.“ I can see myself being a primary care doctor for the long haul,” she said.“ It gives me the perfect balance of patient care and being able to be a good mom.”
Still, she hasn’ t closed the door on new experiences.“ I do miss the hospital sometimes,” she admits.“ At some point, I’ d love to dabble in inpatient care again to keep those skills sharp.” She also hopes to return to medical mission work, especially with her Spanish background.“ That’ s something I’ d love to do again, to give back in a more global way.” For now, though, her focus remains on the people in front of her: her patients, her colleagues, her family.
From the little girl who dreamed of being a“ baby doctor” to the seasoned internist balancing motherhood, patient care and a life well-lived, Dr. Fields embodies the quiet strength and compassion that sustain the practice of medicine.
Kathryn Vance is the Communications and Event Coordinator at the Greater Louisville Medical Society.
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