Christy Odell, Primary Care Physician
Joined Fenway in September 2016.
Education: University of Michigan, B.S. in Biology; Boston University School of Medicine, MD; Boston University School of Public Health, M.S. Epidemiology.
Residency: Family Medicine Residency, Maine Medical Center
*American Board of Family Medicine certified.
What do you like most about being a Primary Care Physician?
What I really love about Primary Care is building long-term relationships with patients. As a family doc, it’s even more exciting to watch young families grow. In my last job, I provided care to multiple families where I got to follow mom in her pregnancy and have the chance to take care of the kids and parents for more than a decade. It felt like such a privilege to be a part of these families in so many ways.
Can you tell us a little about your schooling and formal training?
I’ve been in Boston for the better part of 20 years, starting at BU Medical School and completing my Family Medicine residency in Portland, Maine. I came back to Boston in 2001 to work at Boston Medical Center (BMC), where worked for the last 15 years prior to Fenway Health. Cutting my teeth as a young family doctor at BMC taught me a lot about caring for the underserved and the real value of primary care.
What surprises you most about your line of work?
How much fun it can be! I love finding out about patients’ lives and getting to know them, as well as helping them feel better. It brings real joy to my work.
How do you see the field changing or growing in the future?
I think medicine, and particularly Primary Care, is on the verge of leveraging mobile technology, such as remote patient monitoring, to help improve health outside of the office through patient engagement and data analysis. It will be exciting to improve health with more than the time we get for a snapshot office visit.
When you have time off, what do you get up to?
I love being outside doing anything-hiking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing, you name it. Luckily, my wife and 3-year-old son share my enthusiasm for the outdoors. Boston is a great launching point for the best areas in New England, and we spend a lot of time at our vacation home in N.H.