As America celebrates Doctors Day on March 30, Kaiser Permanente South Bay family practice physician Dr. Angel Schaffer is described as a tireless advocate for her patients – always providing compassionate care that meets their health care needs at a time of distress.
But that’s not all!
Outside of her daily busy schedule, Dr. Schaffer is making a difference in her community, as she volunteers to help those in need of her expertise. For instance, she has partnered with various nonprofit organizations, including Interval House that provides shelter for women and children of domestic violence, and was honored as a keynote speaker and award recipient at its annual conference. She’s also partnered with Jill’s House, organizing and leading volunteer groups of teens to provide care for children with profound intellectual disabilities at their Big Bear camp
Additionally, Dr. Schaffer partners with Graceworks, serving orphaned children in Africa who have lost their parents to AIDS. Her lifelong dream of serving on a mission team was fulfilled in 2016, and she plans to organize more medical mission trips to this vulnerable region to assist those in desperate need of quality health care services often out-of-reach.
“I feel a calling to share my knowledge and expertise in a way that will improve the quality of life in my community and beyond,” Dr. Schaffer said. “Volunteerism gives me that opportunity and for that I’m grateful, because I know I’m making a difference for the better in people’s lives.”
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Dr. Schaffer is also a motivational speaker, emphasizing her motto of “Failure is not an option.” She challenges youth to rise above obstacles in life and to persevere. Her commitment led her to co-found PURE, a non-profit faith-based mentor and leadership program for girls.
Dr. Schaffer credits her mother with inspiring her to become a physician.
“It all began when I was 11 years old,” she recalled. “I walked into Kaiser Permanente South Bay where she was delivering my younger sister and she told me I would become a doctor, and she nurtured this dream for 11 years.
“My passion and commitment to serving marginalized communities stems from the devastation my family endured when my mother, who was 38 years old, developed post-partum cardiomyopathy and was denied a heart transplant due cultural bias and lack of knowledge regarding the effects of domestic violence and mental illness.”
A few months after starting medical school, the last words Dr. Schaffer’s mother shared before her untimely death were, ‘we did it!’ she recalled. “She was excited that her dream of my becoming a doctor was coming true.
“The last three years of my mother’s life were spent teaching me the importance of listening to patients and serving others,” Dr. Schaffer continued. “I’m so blessed to serve at the very hospital where it all began when I was a child.”
Today, Dr. Schaffer is improving the health of underserved communities, teaching them about the dangers of hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. But she doesn’t stop there. Despite her busy schedule, she travels to various churches, health fairs and community events promoting healthy choices. She has organized several hypertension and diabetes health fairs for African American patients at Kaiser Permanente South Bay medical offices.
“Helping others to live a healthier life gives me all the satisfaction that I need,” Dr. Schaffer noted. “Hearing people actually tell me how their lives have improved because of my outreach brings me great joy and happiness.”
Dr. Schaffer also understands the importance of encouraging youth to seek careers in the medical field, both within and outside of her community. She encourages, empowers and inspires the next generation of physicians, and demonstrates this by mentoring middle schoolers through Kaiser Permanente’s Hippocrates Circle program.
She also mentors pre-med students at Kaiser Permanente’s Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine students in Pasadena, and has mentored pre-med college students throughout the U.S. for the past 15 years.
Dr. Schaffer’s compassion and commitment to her patients as well as making a difference through volunteerism were recently recognized, as she received the prestigious Physician Exceptional Contribution Award from Kaiser Permanente South Bay.
Dr. Schaffer got the award because she exemplifies its three pillars: Expertise and Performance, Community Contributions, and Humanitarian Activities.
“I’m extremely grateful to have a job where my work is having a positive influence and impact on people’s lives,” she notes. “I can’t think of a better way to live my life!”
