Dr. Stephanie Oliva enjoys all the different aspects of being a Family Practice physician. “You get to treat people of all ages, including multiple generations of families, and you have the opportunity to master many different aspects of care,” she explains. “That’s why I find it so rewarding.”

One of the things Dr. Oliva enjoys the most about being a Family Practice physician is getting to know her patients closely. “I enjoy learning about my patient’s lives and their families, and tailoring their healthcare to their individual goals.” Dr. Oliva loves to problem-solve difficult cases and figure out what is going on with the patient. “That’s always exciting to me, to figure something out and recognize what is really going on with the patient. I really enjoy that aspect of care.”

One of the challenges Dr. Oliva deals with every day is helping patients access the care they need. “Whether it’s mental health services, home care, community resources, it’s important for me to make sure that they get the services they need.” Some of Dr. Oliva’s clinical interests include pediatrics, dermatology, preventative care, women’s health, and wound care. Dr. Oliva is a very “hands-on” physician and can perform everything from skin biopsies, to joint injections and IUD insertions in the office.

As a primary care doctor, one of the biggest challenges Dr. Oliva faces is helping people achieve and maintain a healthy weight and avoid metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. “Maintaining a healthy lifestyle these days does take a little work. I try to look at what motivates people to be active, what motivates them to make healthy choices. What kind of situations cause you to make choices that do not fit your goals? I try to give patients the tools they need to set proper health goals and lead a healthy life.”

In her work at Reliant Dr. Oliva often makes use of technology to help patients. “At Reliant, we’ve made it easy for patients to contact their care team and message them with a question. There’s also websites and apps that I trust and recommend to my patients. These can help them with everything from calorie tracking to mental health and sleep issues.”

When she is not busy helping patients, Dr. Oliva enjoys hiking and camping in the New England area and being with her family.