People: Julie Dixon

JULIE DIXON: MEDICINE WOMAN PAR EXCELLENCE

Patients of physician Julie Dixon, D.O. '85, are invariably satisfied with her care. Dr. Dixon will spend as much time as necessary to calm fears, answer questions and administer care. 'That's why I was late to this interview,' she explains during her belated lunch break.

Julie, director of medical services at the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indian Family Health Care Clinic in Peshawbestown since 1986, was recently elected by unanimous vote as chief of staff at Grand Traverse Community Hospital, Traverse City, becoming the first woman to hold the post. Her rapid success belies a background that did not include medicine as a goal.

A Lac du Flambeau Ojibwa, Julie grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, moved to Minnesota, and then, while working with substance abuse problems at the Walker River Reservation in Nevada, decided she wanted to get into health care. So she came back to Michigan to become a nurse. 'I didn't think I was smart enough to become a doctor,' she recalls. 'But as I was doing my clinical rotation, I realized, 'Hey, I can do this too!'' She scored very high on the MCAT and could have gone to any medical school she wanted. 'I knew several doctors from MSU who were very good role models,' she says. 'They steered me to MSU. I chose osteopathic medicine because that was more compatible with native healing methods.'

Besides her work at the clinic and community hospital, Julie is co- director of Access Obstetrics, which provides prenatal care to low income families, and has a private practice in Traverse City. She also spends Friday mornings serving the mentally ill at the Grand Traverse-Leelanau Community Mental Health Clinic.

Clearly, for Julie, medicine has been a true calling. How does she manage so much work? 'Because I'm a nut,' she says with laughter. 'Somebody has to do it. But it all works out. I enjoy doing it.'