Modesto surgeon named doctor of year for Stanislaus County. What’s made her career unique

Dr. Niamh Seavy said it wasn’t difficult breaking into the men’s club of surgeons in Modesto. She couldn’t say the same about her homeland.

Seavy was the first female surgeon in private practice here when she arrived in Modesto in 1994. She was preceded by a female doctor who performed surgery at the county hospital that closed in 1997.

The Stanislaus Medical Society is honoring Seavy as “Physician of the Year” and recipient of the John Darroch Memorial Award, an honor for a doctor who exemplifies clinical excellence, medical education and dedication to patient care.

Seavy is being recognized for what she made of her opportunity, including 10 years directing the trauma program at Doctors Medical Center, serving as chief of staff of the medical center and providing surgical care for countless patients.

“As a surgeon with McHenry Medical Group, she provided excellent surgical care to countless individuals during her career,” said Dr. Alex Mari in nominating Seavy for the award. “Her medical acumen was second to none, her surgical outcomes were above par and she was loved by patients and respected by her colleagues.”

Earned medical degree in Ireland in early 1980s

Seavy, 65, said there was resistance in her native Ireland to women going into surgery. It was a challenge to find a spot in a surgical residency, she said, after earning a medical degree from National University of Ireland in Cork in the early 1980s.

Seavy did complete a surgical residency in Ireland and was the only woman in a four-year general surgery program at the University of California at Davis. Aside from the surprise she saw on some patients’ faces, Seavy said, she didn’t run into barriers as a female surgeon in Modesto and spent many fulfilling years at McHenry Medical Group (now First California Physician Partners).

“It was quite amazing to me to join a group of surgeons who were very accepting of me,” Seavy said. “They allowed me to grow. They allowed me to take on leadership positions. They were dedicated and blind to insurance and took care of everyone. It was the kind of career I wanted.”

Her advanced training in surgery included trauma. While the trauma center at Doctors Medical Center uses orthopedists to care for car crash victims with broken bones, trauma surgeons like Seavy handle the gunshot wounds and stabbings.

“I remember my father was so surprised I was tough enough to deal with operations on trauma patients,” Seavy said. “He could not imagine his little girl would do that.”

Seavy said growing up in a home with six brothers might have made it easier for her to work with “the guys.”

She held the door open for other female surgeons

The county’s top physician said she’s proud of her success in recruiting and mentoring of physicians during her 30 years in Modesto. She recruited nine female surgeons to Stanislaus County. As a result, the trauma surgical team at Doctors five years ago consisted of seven women and one man. Five women and the male surgeon remain today.

The Association of American Medical Colleges, citing 2017 data, reported that women comprise less than 25% of surgeons in 10 medical specialties and hold the majority only in obstetrics and gynecology.

Seavy is among general surgeons who took advantage of training in robotic systems. She completed about 750 robotic cases including colon, gallbladder and pancreatic surgeries before retiring last year.

Seavy was trauma program director at Doctors Medical Center from 2007 to 2017. She was the hospital’s chief of staff from 2004 to 2006, and is chairwoman of the center’s board of governors. She is a member of the Association of Women Surgeons, California Medical Association and UC Davis Surgical Society.

The county’s top physician is a supporter of charitable organizations and contributes to the Gallo Center for the Arts. She is married to William Seavy, a former chief executive officer of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

Seavy, like many established local physicians, has affection for the medical community in Modesto.

“I would never dream of leaving here,” she said. “It is a special city and the medical community is amazing. For a city of our size we have three large hospitals. It’s a family. You feel like you belong here.”