Written By:
Nora Wallace - Marketing and Public Relations Manager

 

Lompoc Valley Medical Center is expanding access to specialty care in the Lompoc Valley with the addition of urologist Patrick D. Pfizenmayer, M.D., who will see patients at Lompoc Health – North Third Center. 

Dr. Pfizenmayer brings experience in general urology and provides care for a wide range of conditions affecting men and women, from kidney stones and urinary difficulties to incontinence and cancers of the prostate, bladder and kidneys. 

For Dr. Pfizenmayer, joining Lompoc Health also offers something he was specifically seeking: the opportunity to practice medicine in a smaller community and develop meaningful relationships with his patients. 

Having grown up in a small rural township outside a large city in New Jersey, Dr. Pfizenmayer said he appreciates the personal connection that can be found in community-based healthcare. After relocating to Southern California about a year ago, he began looking for an opportunity that would allow him to remain in the region while practicing outside the environment of a large metropolitan medical system. 

“I wanted to be somewhere where I could have more time with patients and provide quality care, rather than having people feel like they’re just taking a number,” Dr. Pfizenmayer said. 

He said that sense of personal connection was evident during his introduction to LVMC and the physician recruitment process. He was particularly impressed by the involvement of LVMC leadership and the time Chief Medical Officer Dr. Randall Michel spent personally introducing him to the organization. 

“The personal touch really stood out to me,” Dr. Pfizenmayer said. “I don’t know how many people in his position would be giving tours and being so active and engaged in the hiring process.” 

Dr. Pfizenmayer earned his medical degree from Stony Brook University School of Medicine, graduating in the top 10 percent of his class. He completed a preliminary general surgery year and Urology Residency at Cooper University Hospital. His professional background includes serving as a general urologist at Memorial Medical Center and Doctor’s Medical Center. 

“The addition of Dr. Pfizenmayer is an important step in strengthening access to urologic care for patients throughout the Lompoc Valley,” said LVMC Chief Executive Officer Yvette Cope, RN, MSN. “Having another urologist practicing locally gives our patients greater access to specialized evaluation, treatment and ongoing care without having to routinely travel outside the community. Just as importantly, Dr. Pfizenmayer brings the kind of thoughtful, patient-centered approach we value at LVMC, and we are very pleased to welcome him to our medical community.” 

Dr. Pfizenmayer’s path to medicine did not take a traditional route. He earned his undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Drew University, where he graduated magna cum laude and studied biochemistry and molecular genetics. Although he had been interested in medicine from a young age, he initially explored other professions after college. 

Coming from a family of educators, he spent time teaching biology, chemistry and physics and working as a science tutor. He also worked as a patent consultant for an intellectual property law firm before ultimately deciding to pursue the career that had interested him for years. 

“I never really lost my interest in medicine,” he said. “It was what I had been thinking about since college.” 

His eventual choice of urology came about somewhat unexpectedly. During a surgical rotation, Dr. Pfizenmayer did not receive the rotation he had initially wanted and was assigned to urology instead. 

He quickly discovered it was a fit. 

“I really loved it,” he said. “It was a nice mix of inpatient and outpatient medicine. There are people I may only see in the clinic, and then there are people I can help in the hospital as well. It’s a nice mix between surgery and medicine.” 

His practice encompasses many common urologic concerns, including kidney stones, urinary difficulties, overactive bladder and incontinence. He also performs vasectomies and procedures for conditions such as hydroceles and provides cystoscopic surveillance for patients with bladder cancer. His practice includes the diagnosis and treatment of more complex conditions, including prostate, kidney and bladder cancers. 

Kidney stones are an especially relevant concern in warmer climates, Dr. Pfizenmayer said, where inadequate hydration can contribute to their development. 

Regardless of the condition, patient education is an important part of his approach to medicine. 

“I like to help people understand their condition and the how and why of what we’re doing to treat them,” Dr. Pfizenmayer said. “I feel that if patients understand their condition better, they tend to do better.” 

That emphasis on education connects his earlier career in the classroom with his work as a physician. His academic background also includes neuroscience research, and he has published research in the Journal of Urology. During medical school, he served as a teaching assistant and clinical simulation trainer, and he later served as Chief Resident. 

He said he is looking forward to becoming part of the local healthcare community and meeting his new patients. 

“I’m happy to be here and working in the area,” Dr. Pfizenmayer said. “I’m looking forward to seeing everyone.” 

Dr. Pfizenmayer will see patients at Lompoc Health – North Third Center.