Dr. Derel Finch is best known for his kindness, warmth, and clinical leadership. His appreciation for relationship-based care runs deep and guides his medical philosophy. It is this rare combination of heart and mind for which peers and patients have long celebrated him.
Dr. Finch received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California at San Diego. He then earned his medical degree with Honors from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he was elected to the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society in his junior year - a rare distinction. His residency in Internal Medicine was completed at Duke University Medical Center, after which he returned to the University of Washington for his Pulmonology and Critical Care fellowship.
For the first decade of his career, Dr. Finch was in private practice as an internist and pulmonologist, where he routinely received awards as one of Seattle’s top doctors. For the next 13 years, he practiced as an Intensivist covering medical, surgical, neurologic, cardiac, and tele-ICU units. A connecting thread through his career is that he has repeatedly been sought out to collaborate with peers on the most complex cases, earning him a reputation as a widely trusted and respected expert in the medical community.
In addition to his clinical experience, Dr. Finch has served in significant leadership roles. He led the Critical Care Department at Swedish, then assumed the role of Chief Medical Officer for the Swedish Cherry Hill Campus, where he was responsible for quality and patient safety at this cardiovascular and neuroscience specialty hospital.
This previous focus on complex care of the significantly ill has given Dr Finch a strong perspective on the importance of preventative care. This desire to focus more upstream lead him to MD² in 2023. In addition to treating illness, he now enjoys also focusing on wellness with his patients, leveraging sleep, exercise, and nutrition in order to maximize health. Outside of work, Dr Finch has been on the board of several non-profits, and enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, two dogs and three cats. He is a wind sport enthusiast, and enjoys kitesurfing and wing foiling, and also participates in martial arts, hiking, cycling and rock climbing.
Practice
