Marikit Parker was born in the Philippines and grew up in Central California. As a young child, she describes feeling like medicine was magic, and the doctor was like a magician with a waiting room full of people looking to him for healing.
Her passion for medicine and learning was nurtured by her mother who would get her books on the human body. While some of her peers might have preferred dolls, Marikit’s favorite toy was a realistic model of a skeleton. In high school, she volunteered at the local hospital, which motivated her to pursue a career as a physician.
We recently caught up with her to learn about her journey to becoming a physician and her choice to work in community health.
How did you come to work at CommuniCare+OLE?
I returned to the Philippines to attend college and medical school. I still had family living there and my mom had set up my college fund so I could get schooling in the Philippines and not be burdened with a heavy debt when I was done. I was fortunate, because it provided me with an education that expanded my knowledge of diseases and conditions that are uncommon in the United States.
In 2010 I returned to United States and settled in Florida because my boyfriend (now my husband) lived there. I was there for three years applying for different residencies. While I was waiting, I wanted to be working in the medical field so I worked as a medical assistant and receptionist, as well as volunteering at a hospital emergency room, to get a more well-rounded look at what it takes to work in a health center.
In 2013 I was accepted to a residency program in Michigan, and, after four brutal winters in 2017, I was ready to return to better weather and moved back to Vacaville to start my career in primary care.
In Vacaville, I worked for NorthBay Healthcare in Vacaville, and then in 2020, I learned about CommuniCare+OLE and FQHCs. I knew this was a full-circle moment in my life, and I was meant to treat those most in need of quality health care.
In 2023, I was appointed Medical Director of CommuniCare+OLE’s Solano County sites, both located in Fairfield, and I love the opportunity to help run the sites and see patients.
Why did you choose family medicine?
I liked being the first line to see everything and do a little bit of everything, like a Jack-of-all-trades. I love learning, and, as a primary care provider, I always have opportunities to learn more about different maladies and diagnoses. I also like treating entire families and building relationships with them.
What is the patient population in Fairfield and Suisun?
It is such a culturally diverse population. Because the area is more affordable than much of the Bay Area, we have Hispanic, Filippino, Vietnamese, Russian, Eastern Indian families. These are big families that are looking to live a nice life. There is just not enough primary care to help all these families, and this puts a big burden on the local hospitals and urgent care. There are many individuals with chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and asthma. They need regular monitoring and education, but transportation can be a problem, so they need services close to home. We are the only FQHC in Fairfield and Suisun, so we are who they look to for care. Our patients trust us, so they often encourage their family members to come to us, but there just are not enough providers to be able meet the demand.
CCOLE is opening a new facility in Fairfield near the mall, tell us why this is important.
Our location across from NorthBay Medical Center is great for those that don’t have transportation because it is easy to access, but it is small. We don’t have the space to provide the expanded services our community needs. The plan for the new facility means many more exam rooms so we could have more providers, and an area for dental, pharmacy, and more. With this larger facility we can treat more patients, and it will be centrally located, so it is still easily accessible.
I really want to be able to provide the needed services to the community, and maybe influence some of my young patients to love medicine as much as I do in the process.
