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Dr. Lena Rydberg giving advice to patient Larry Ramirez. Nina Crowder | Miner
Copper Area News
Rural communities are fortunate to have the clinics and doctors as well as emergency services close at hand.
Sun Life Health Center is a federally qualified health center with seven locations throughout Pinal County. The staff and employees at the seven different locations work towards a common goal of providing high quality services to all people in need. Sun Life serves well over 36,000 patients, 36 percent of whom are children. Sun Life is different in the respect of the patients and truly do their best to provide the best experience possible.
Dr. Lena Rydberg may not now live in a rural Arizona town (she commutes to San Manuel from the Tucson area), but originally she came from rural Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. Rydberg has farming roots in Iowa that go back to over 100 years, five generations of family and lots of deep family roots. Dr. Rydberg has a tremendous amount of compassion to spark her inspiration to become a doctor.
“I have twin brothers who are six years younger than me,” the doctor said. “They grew up having lots of medical problems. They had untreated seizure disorder that was undiagnosed until they turned six years of age. They didn’t even speak until the seizures were diagnosed. That has led to a multitude of medical problems for them. That put me in the contact with the medical field pretty early. They also have some permanent brain damage due to this.”
She added, “I watched my brothers over the course of their lives work so incredibly hard to be successful. They have played every card that has been dealt to them and they have succeeded.”
When the twins were younger, Rydberg said, the family was told they would not able to have their own jobs, bank accounts, live independently, etc., it was suggested by medical doctors to have the twins institutionalized.
“Against all the odds,” she said, “the twins have become productive members of their community. This is a testament to their efforts.”
Growing up as sister to the twins has given Rydberg a different perspective.
“I have found that work is not as difficult for me and given how hard my siblings had to work,” she said. “I feel like it is my obligation to use what I have been given. I like taking care of people and I have seen the other side, the patient side. It’s nice to be able to give back to ill people.”
Rydberg has a beautiful family including her husband, Brad Rydberg, her three year old daughter and their newest addition, a son born in June 2014. Congratulations Dr. Lena Rydberg and wishing your new family the best!
Rydberg enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, reading, biking and American Sign Language.
Rydberg earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 2004 in Biochemistry, with honors, from the University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. In 2009, she graduated with her Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, Missouri. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Arizona in 2012. She is Board Certified in internal medicine and is a member of the American Medical Association and the American College of Physicians.
If you would like more information about Dr. Rydberg or Sun Life Family Health Center visit www.sunlifefamilyhealth.org.
Nina Crowder is a resident of Mammoth. She volunteers in several local organizations. She covers events throughout the Copper Corridor and Superior Town and School governance.
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