Sansum Clinic, one of the oldest nonprofit outpatient clinics in California, has announced the start of its 100th year.
From its origins with Dr. William Sansum, the first U.S. physician to develop and administer insulin for diabetes, to its current operation with 220 doctors in some 50 specialties and service lines, caring for patients in 800,000-plus visits annually across 22 different locations, Sansum Clinic has evolved to treat its patients with a highly-trained staff using the latest research and state-of-the-art technology.
“We stand on the shoulders of many who have helped bring us to this moment,” said Dr. Kurt Ransohoff, the clinic’s CEO and chief medical officer. “We will always be proud of and committed to our important mission: partnering with our community to deliver healthcare during any challenge, whether that be during wartime, economic recessions or this current pandemic.”
Sansum Clinic is the largest independent nonprofit outpatient healthcare organization between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area. Its history is intertwined with that of the city, which has always been advanced in the medical sciences despite its small size.
Inspired by the collaborative process wartime doctors used to efficiently care for soldiers during battlefield triage, Sansum Clinic’s first physicians, led by Dr. Rexwald Brown, formed Santa Barbara Medical Clinic in 1921.
Their approach — specialists operating in their designated fields while consulting and cooperating with others in the same clinic — was a new concept within medicine but proved to be the optimal way to effectively and affordably treat patients. This same multi-specialty model functions and is Sansum’s cornerstone today; residency- or fellowship-trained doctors coordinating and collaborating to offer care.
These doctors, alongside a compassionate staff, deliver a personal type of service to patients, grounded in the highest standards of quality, ethics and professionalism. This has garnered Sansum Clinic numerous accreditations from state and federal agencies for excellence in healthcare.
From top-of-the-line surgery centers and imaging machines to the world-class Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, Sansum’s investment in infrastructure and medical advancements is a hallmark of the clinic. Many departments, including cardiology, urology, radiology and ophthalmology, use the latest technology and protocols available to treat patients.
Since Sansum’s earliest days, strong ties to the community and the generosity of many within it have brought these advancements to the clinic. The partnerships, combined with the guidance of clinic leaders and trustees, have created bonds and lifetime relationships, producing civic efforts to enhance health and overall quality of life.