Picking the Perfect Doctor (for You)

Choosing the right doctor is one of the most important tasks in a person’s life. Whether picking a primary care physician or specialist, making that choice means weighing a number of different elements – which sometimes can pose a challenge, especially at the outset of the process.

In this New Hampshire Magazine webinar, two experts on that choice (and doctors themselves!) weigh in on the challenge and opportunity of picking the right doctor, and offer tips and guidelines for that crucial decision.

Original air date: Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Panel of experts

Lingenfelterpiercetiffanymd Tiffany L. Pierce, M.D., M.S. is a board-certified internal medicine doctor who serves as the New England Market Medical Executive. She leads our value-based initiatives working directly with our clients and through partnerships with doctors in the community.

She joined Cigna Healthcare in 2008 and has a record of success in developing national strategies improving quality and affordability for our customers. In her previous roles at Cigna, Dr. Pierce had responsibility for educating our medical directors and nurses to enhance our quality and effectiveness through proactive medical management, she led our complex and catastrophic case management team for the East Region, helped developed the medical program for our individual and family plan business that is on the exchange and co-chaired our Quality Management Governing Body. She also serves as a board member for Malta House of Care, which provides free medical services to individuals without medical insurance, and a board member of the Northeast Node Policy Advisory Board formed by SAMHSA to address opioid addiction. Prior to joining Cigna, Dr. Pierce worked as the lead hospitalist for Dartmouth Hitchcock.

Maria Padin, MD, was named Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Southern Region, Community Group Practice in February 2020. In this role, Dr. Padin has responsibility for overseeing the strategy and care delivery in the southern region working in concert with her administrative partner, the Senior Vice President of Operations and Business Development. Her work includes integrating the clinical operations across the CGP, collaborating with leadership to coordinate specialty-specific services between the northern and southern regions of D-HH’s service area, continuing to steward clinical relationships with community hospitals and providers in the service area while applying system policies related to physicians in the Community Group Practice; managing, with the Chief Quality Officer, accreditation issues; and maintaining and updating professional staff bylaws/rules and regulations.

Dr. Padin joined Dartmouth-Hitchcock Concord in 1997 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where she went on to serve as Department Chair and then became the Medical Director for D-H Concord in 2010. In 2015 Dr. Padin was named Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) where her focus was on clinical and physician-related responsibilities specific to the academic medical center. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, and her clinical interests include robotic surgery, minimally invasive gynecology and pelvic floor prolapse.

Dr. Padin earned her medical degree at Dartmouth Medical School, and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Maine Medical Center. She earned her undergraduate degree at Occidental College in Los Angeles, where she worked advocacy for Maternal Child Health in Los Angeles and with the March of Dimes.

She is a former Treasurer/Secretary of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and former Vice Chair of the NH Section of the organization. She previously served as chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Concord Hospital, and was a member of the Medical Executive Committee.

Maria has four grown children (Carlene, Daniel, Rachel and Marysol), and she and her husband currently reside in North Hampton, NH. She enjoys boating, cooking and spending time with family.