Allison S. Laroche, MD

Early in my medical training, I felt compelled to learn more about the social determinants of health, particularly as they pertained to nutrition and physical activity. During my Master of Public Health training, I developed an interactive nutrition curriculum for childcare centers, focusing on the 5-2-1-0 (5 fruits and vegetables per day, less than 2 hours of screen time per day, 1 hour of play per day, and no sugary beverages) model for healthy behaviors. I completed a fellowship in applied epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and I developed tools to help assess the healthy food environment in hospitals. During my pediatric training at the University of Washington, I realized that caring for endocrine patients complemented my passion for public health. Direct patient care fulfills my interests in navigating family dynamics, brainstorming ways to improve health, and understanding psychosocial influences that blanket the patient-provider relationship.

At Swedish, I serve two roles: general pediatrician and pediatric endocrinologist. Being a general pediatrician gives me a broad exposure to the pediatric experience. I enjoy forming long-term relationships with families and providing anticipatory guidance to optimize health. As a pediatric endocrinologist, I help patients and their families understand how hormones are influenced by what we eat and how we move our bodies. I routinely break down the conditions of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and review how they are treated. During every patient encounter, I keep in mind that individual experiences inform future directions, and I look forward to joining patients on their respective journeys.

When not in the clinic, I enjoy spending time outdoors with my children, husband, and dog. If I am not hiking or beachcombing, I am likely cooking or cheering on the Seattle Sounders.