Penny J. Sawyer, RN

Vascular surgery allows me to form long-term relationships with my patients. Although I perform surgeries, much of my work also involves working with patients to treat chronic diagnoses, such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. I enjoy talking with my patients to help them understand their diagnosis and treatment options and to learn what matters most to them. I try to clearly explain the risks of benefits of potential treatments. Together we decide on a treatment plan that focuses on their goals and value system. I am also sensitive to the needs and input of my patients' family members. As the patient's primary support system, they can help patients with their treatment plans at home. They can also notice early warning signs of problems. I do everything I can to make sure that everyone is comfortable with the treatment plan.

My goal is to provide compassionate and non-judgmental care that empowers adolescents and adults to make healthy decisions regarding their sexual, gynecological and reproductive health. I am honored to help women and families have the birth experience they want. Attending births and witnessing the start of a new life—as well as the birth of parents—is awe-inspiring and keeps me motivated to provide the best care for my patients.

I work with a large, multi-specialty team of providers to facilitate complete, longitudinal, and interdisciplinary care for patients with bone and soft-tissue tumors. Together, we provide care for patients who have complex surgical problems by using state-of-the-art technologies and old-fashioned doctoring. Since every patient is unique, treatments for bone and soft-tissue tumors must be individualized. Most bone and soft-tissue tumors are benign and may not require treatment. Due to advancements in therapies for more aggressive tumors, we can offer a limb-sparing operation to most patients with malignant tumors. Children affected by malignant tumors may be treated with endoprostheses that are lengthened through non-invasive means to accommodate their continued growth. My goal is to help patients triumph over their disease so that they can resume the activities they value most.