Sara F. Shorter, MD

I am a physician with Allina Health Hospice. My professional interests include hospice, geriatrics, and caring for multiple generations. 

Hometown: Clark, SD

Practice philosophy: I believe that medicine is both science and art and that patients  need both of those aspects covered when receiving care, whether they are in for a cold or a flare of their heart failure. I think honesty and openness between patient and physician is vital to making decisions as to how to approach everything from preventative care to diagnosing a problem to treating a problem to how to approach the end of life. 

I am passionate about: about civil rights, caring for the poor and underprivileged, and caring for our planet.

If I wasn't a physician, I would be: a classical singer.

I became a physician because: I loved the study of the human body and was drawn to a life of  service to others. 

One challenge of this career that I enjoy is: talking with patients about how to incorporate treatments and lifestyle changes into their lives in a realistic way, not a perfectionistic way, so that they can approach changes with hope and not frustration.

The best thing I have done for my health is: shooting for 7-8 hours of sleep per night!

My personal health goals is: to keep doing daily activity with my husband and kids that are everyday kinds of things - walking, biking, swimming, yardwork - that will keep us active all our lives.