In honor of National Doctors’ Day (March 30), we are highlighting two doctors that have been with Neighborhood the longest - Dr. Michele Frech and Dr. Gail Ferguson.

They both have been providing care with Neighborhood Health Center since 1997. Dr. Frech in OB-GYN and Dr. Ferguson in pediatrics.

Michele Frech, DO, FACOG decided at age six that she wanted to be a pediatrician. But, her experiences during medical school helped her realize she was really meant to be a different type of doctor.

“When I delivered my first baby, that was it. I haven’t looked back,” said Dr. Frech.

Working at Neighborhood also led to a shift in her mindset about her career. She took a position in Neighborhood’s OB-GYN department in 1997 in large part because a commitment to work for three years at a Federally Qualified Health Center would make her eligible to have much of her medical school debt taken care of through a scholarship program. She didn’t expect to still be working at Neighborhood 27 years later.

“What I realized is that the fancy private medical practices don’t provide the complete, whole-person, respectful, patient-centered care that Neighborhood does,” says Dr. Frech. “Neighborhood’s model of care is the best kind of care.”

Today, Dr. Frech is medical director for Neighborhood’s OB-GYN department and leads a team of nine OB-GYN providers. She’s delivered hundreds of babies over the years, and that’s still one of her favorite parts of the job.

Dr. Gail Ferguson (pictured with patient) is the medical director and chair of the pediatric department at Neighborhood. 

After graduating from Brandeis University in Massachusetts as a biology major, Dr. Ferguson went on to earn her medical degree from the University at Buffalo School of Medicine. It was during a pediatric rotation that Dr. Ferguson discovered her passion for caring for kids. She did her residency at Children’s Hospital and upon completion came to work at Neighborhood as a pediatric specialist.

“I was drawn to working with children because of their innocence – their health problems are never self-induced and they freely show their appreciation with hugs,” she says. “At Neighborhood, we advocate for children’s health and give a voice to kids and families who otherwise may not have access to medical care."

Dr. Ferguson says her long career at Neighborhood has enabled her to watch her pediatric patients grow into adulthood and she often sees the children of those patients today. As department chair, she maintains her office at Neighborhood Health Center Northwest, but is always visiting and checking in with the other Neighborhood sites during the week.

“I feel so lucky and blessed that I started at Neighborhood Health Center and established a career here,” Dr. Ferguson concludes. “Not only do I love caring for our community’s children, I get to work with a squad of talented co-workers who are very special to me.”