Randall Enstrom, M.D.
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist Central Valley Service Area
My name is Randall Enstrom. Most of my staff call me Randy. I was born in St. Paul, MN in 1957 and grew up as a military child until I was 10 years old when my family settled in Danville, CA. After high school, I attended UC Berkeley where I received my bachelor’s degree. After receiving a master’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, I was accepted to medical school there. I graduated with my MD from Georgetown in 1987.
I am a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. After six years on the East Coast, I was relieved and grateful to return to California. As my father and his friends/ colleagues had fulfilling careers at Kaiser Permanente as internists, I completed an Internal Medicine internship at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. My father’s positive feelings about the Kaiser Permanente system and my experience in San Francisco cemented my desire to seek a career within Kaiser Permanente. I then attended radiology residency at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, in San Jose.
This four years was followed by a fellowship in Interventional Radiology at Stanford University Hospital. My love of anatomy, auto mechanics and anything hands-on, coupled with coming into contact with a famous interventional radiology at UCSF, sparked my keen interest in the technologically exploding, challenging field of Interventional Radiology. I was, and remain, keenly aware of the power of these techniques to save patients and hospitals longer hospitalizations, discomfort and longer recovery periods associated with traditional surgical methods. Interventional Radiology has so many procedures to offer patients that allow them to bounce back so much faster. Frequently within 24 hours.
I joined Kaiser Permanente Sacramento in 1993 after fellowship. Kaiser Permanente was my first and will be my only job. One of my father’s friends, a surgeon, once told me that if you really want to make your own decisions about what is right for your patients, join Kaiser Permanente. If you really want to do a lot of what you trained for, join Kaiser Permanente. This has proven to be true in my practice. Kaiser Permanente recognizes the power of my chosen specialty and allows me to treat patients the way I would want my own parents, wife, children and relatives treated.
After being in Sacramento for 7 years, the opportunities in Stockton were even greater and I transferred here in 2000. I find this a wonderful facility in which to work and have many professional friends here. I greatly appreciate the ethnic diversity at this facility. My philosophy of care is to always treat patients the way I or my family would want to be treated. I enjoy explaining elements of the patient’s disease process, what their options are and what the specialty of Interventional Radiology can offer them. I wish to lessen their anxiety and explain procedures so thoroughly that they can think of few other questions to ask. I work as hard as possible to offer patients the newest interventional techniques and to keep our skills cutting edge.
The field of Interventional Radiology is tied closely to technology and innovation. The number of procedures offered is literally exploding. We are training in the newest skills continuously. Our role in chronic pain management is also rewarding. To see patients have tears in relief from their pain makes us feel worthwhile. Another rewarding element of being a Kaiser physician is that we have more time for our families and outside interests compared to other systems of care. This is very important to me. I enjoy spending as much time as possible with my wife and three children. I consider myself an amiable, approachable, down to earth person. I enjoy sharing the enthusiasm I have for Interventional Radiology with my patients. I look forward to meeting you, providing you with as much information as possible to make informed decisions.
- Medical Education Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
- Internship Kaiser Foundation Hospital, San Francisco, CA
- Residency Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, CA
- Fellowship Stanford University Hospital, Stanford, CA
- Board certification Diagnostic Radiology, American Board of Radiology