When Vanderburg was a child, he watched his financially insecure and geographically isolated grandfather go blind from diabetes.
“His diabetes was hard to manage because there were so many barriers to care,” Vanderburg says. In medical school, Vanderburg learned that his grandfather’s blindness was entirely preventable. “That really stuck with me, and it continues to drive me today.”
Growing up in rural Missouri, he watched local independent doctors work to bring high-quality medical care to his community. That inspired him to follow suit. “To me, medical advancements aren’t fully implemented until they’re available to everyone regardless of geography or ability to pay,” Vanderburg says.
During residency, Vanderburg’s passion for increasing access to healthcare led him to spend years studying respiratory infections in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. He also conducted oxygen therapy research that helped providers in under-resourced parts of the world better manage chronic shortages of medical oxygen.
Vanderburg says that by caring for Monterey County communities, he is continuing his mission of increasing access to medical care for all.
“Taking a breath is core to our day-to-day experience and mental health,” Vanderburg says. “I’m grateful to practice in a community with which I can connect and where I can make an impact. If you see me when you’re out and about, I hope you’ll say hi.”
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