Sarah Lyle, MD, a physician who is board certified in both Family Practice and Adolescent Medicine, has joined Treehouse Pediatrics in Eastsound.

She will be specializing in serving the adolescent and young adult women of the island.

Lyle relocated to Orcas Island in the summer of 2008 with her husband, Steven Thompson, and their four children, Dylan, 12, Halle, 11, Gabriel, eight and Camryn, eight. She and her husband discovered Orcas on weekend getaways from Seattle in the early 1990s. They married in Eastsound in 1994, intending to return someday.

“We just didn’t imagine it would be 14 years and four kids later,” she said.

In the meantime, she has been honing her skills in family practice in the Indian Health Service in Arizona, with a special interest in the care of adolescents and young women. She ran a school-based adolescent clinic for more than 10 years, and participated in the sex education and suicide prevention curricula on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, which serves the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Lyle emphasizes that confidentiality is important in adolescent care.

“A huge part of taking care of the adolescent is winning their trust as they transition to independence. They are starting to make their own decisions big and small. Having a safe, confidential place to come is important for both the patient and their family,” she said.

“We are very excited to have Sarah on board,” Evan Buxbaum, MD, of Treehouse Pediatrics, said. “Her specialized focus on young women’s health and the issues of adolescence is a great addition to our practice. She will be a great asset to the community.”

Lyle graduated from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and did her Family Practice residency at the University of Washington. She also has a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UC Berkeley.

Lyle will practice part-time at Treehouse Pediatrics.