WATCH: MRH Women’s Health Provider Dr. Robert Samuelson explains what an average day looks like for him and what patients can expect with him as their provider.

With nearly three decades of experience, Dr. Robert Samuelson is well-versed in women’s healthcare and aims to provide big-city care in our small town of Craig.

Dr. Samuelson provides gynecology and women’s health services at Memorial Regional Health and joined the team in June 2021. He offers full-scope medical and surgical care, splitting his time between visiting with patients in the office and performing necessary gynecological surgeries.

Dr. Samuelson attained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and attended medical school at St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies. He completed his obstetrics and gynecology residency training at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. He is board-certified and has certifications from the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and other professional organizations.

Dr. Samuelson sat down with us to discuss his role at MRH and goals when working with his patients.

Q: What inspired your career in healthcare?

Dr. Robert Samuelson: I initially wanted to go to school to be a teacher, but during undergrad, I had a part-time job for the midnight shift in the Emergency Room at a local hospital. I got to see what went on in an ER and the impact you could have on patients’ lives.

That’s when I realized I liked the medical and science piece of healthcare, and I was inspired to pursue a career in it. I switched from teaching sciences to pre-medicine and the rest is history.

Q: Can you describe your medical background in gynecological healthcare and the services you provide at MRH?

Dr. Samuelson: My career has been almost 30 years at this point, and I’ve done mostly academic medicine. I was involved in teaching medical school residents on how to perform gynecologic surgery. I taught at the University of Arizona, University of Vermont and Yale University for many years. I was a residency program director and chairman at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut. Most of my career has been devoted to gynecologic surgery for benign and malignant diseases.

The services I provide at MRH are any and all gynecological-related surgeries such as hysterectomies, incontinence procedures, myomectomies and more. I have experience performing minimally invasive, conventional and microscopic surgeries. I also provide general women’s healthcare-related to issues such as menstrual periods, pelvic pain, contraception, infertility, breast health, Pap testing and infections.

I provide care for patients in their late teens up until their 90s. Issues vary over the patient’s lifetime, with elderly patients having a different set of health conditions than younger patients.

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Q: What is your main goal in how you approach patient care?

Dr. Samuelson: I aim to provide safe, convenient care in a small community hospital in a rural setting so that patients do not have to travel. I can provide the same level of care in Craig that patients receive at larger hospitals in bigger cities, such as Denver and Grand Junction.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about working with Northwest Colorado patients? 

Dr. Samuelson: The most rewarding part of my job is the ability to minimize the amount of disruption in a patient’s life by being able to care for them close to home.