When 17 physicians from the Fremont Center’s Family Medicine Department exchanged their stethoscopes for hammers and paint brushes on Saturday, May 30 to spend the day together building affordable homes in Oakland, they quickly discovered that this was not only a way to support a good cause but also an excellent opportunity to build team spirit.

“Everyone was very excited and eager to join in when our department head Nancy Serpa, M.D., suggested that we participate in the Habitat for Humanity’s Team Building Program as our department retreat,” says Sandra Wong, D.O., one of the Fremont Center’s family medicine physicians who coordinated the physicians’ participation in the program. “This program fit perfectly with all our department retreat goals―from strengthening our team’s communication, cooperation and morale to giving back to the community.”

The physicians spent an entire day painting, putting up drywall, and installing windows and insulation at Habitat for Humanity East Bay’s Edes Avenue development in Oakland, which is the site for 54 new, affordable homes. PAMF donated $2,500 to Habitat to Humanity to fulfill the Team Building Programs’ financial requirement. The donation goes towards the cost of building materials used to build the homes.

“I got to know some of my fellow physicians a lot better and discovered a very different side of their personalities,” says Dr. Wong. “I found out that one of my fellow physicians has excellent construction and building skills. He’s usually very quiet at work, but during our building day, he used his expertise to direct our efforts. Although we were all very sore the next day, everyone agreed that we want to participate in this very rewarding experience again.”

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