Maria de Gracia Padin, MD

Dartmouth Health is a comprehensive healthcare network that includes various facilities such as Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, and Dartmouth Cancer Center, among others. The organization is dedicated to providing quality medical care and advancing health equity through research and innovation. Dr. Patience Toyin-Thomas is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, specializing in general pediatrics and primary care. With a robust educational background, including a PhD in Philosophy and a Master of Public Health, she is committed to improving pediatric health outcomes in the community. Generated from the website

I believe in forging a partnership with my patients so that we can set goals and expectations together. By working together, I can understand my patients’ priorities, including the activities they want to be able to do that they cannot do. I can also understand who their support system includes and can work with them to ensure that they have a support network that will help them achieve their goals. By using a shared decision-making process to review the patient's care goals and their resources, we can discuss whether or not surgery will meet those goals. Working together this way helps us set realistic expectations and gives the patient a voice in what really matters to him or her. It also gives us the opportunity to discuss metrics for success so that we can look back later and see whether or not we met each goal. Part of my role at Dartmouth Health is to improve the systems that take care of patients. I understand that we can always do better for patients in everything we do, from the ease of getting to the hospital to the most complex aspects of their care while they are here. This is the concept behind the Center for Pain and Spine. The Center groups caregivers around patients specifically with spine related issues. This includes all care providers involved in this care including physicians, physical therapist, occupation therapists, nurses, social workers and psychologists. This makes it easier for patients to navigate their care. Working in this field gives me meaning. It gives me the sense that I am doing something for the greater good of others.

I believe in working as a team with my patients, weaving medical knowledge with my patients' and their families' unique needs and concerns. Together we develop a comprehensive care plan. My goal is to help my patients navigate a stressful time by making them feel confident that they are heard, supported, and receiving the best care.