Dr. Ryan Griffiths Introduction - Oregon Kidney & Hypertension Clinic

Hi my name is Dr. Ryan Griffiths and I am nephrologist at Oregon Kidney and Hypertension Clinic. I am a native Oregonian and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to continue to live and work here. I grew up in Central Oregon playing sports, and raising sheep and cattle. My father was a large animal veterinarian, which helped foster these hobbies. After high school, I spent one year of college at Montana State in Bozeman before transferring to Oregon State University.

I then attended Medical School at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland and graduated in 2005. Following medical school I completed my Internal Medicine Residency at UNC Chapel Hill and my Fellowship in Nephrology at OHSU. I completed my fellowship in June 2010 and continue to have strong ties to the state of Oregon.

My interest in science and medicine started with the exposure to my father’s practice. In this light, I was a gopher, traveling companion, driver, and an extra pair of hands, which was often something even more than that with a wily critter as a prospective patient. A large animal veterinarian has to be a jack-of-all-trades. I respected this aspect of the profession very much, but saw first hand how tough the work could be as well. I always wondered too, wouldn’t it just be easier to talk to your patients about what was wrong? That basic tenant was the deciding factor to push towards human medicine. I don’t think either of us seriously contemplated a combined pet and owner practice (one stop shopping so to speak), though it was suggested to me many times throughout my training.

The main sector of my current practice has been the more rural areas SW of the Portland metro area that includes Sherwood, Newberg, and McMinnville. I really like the mix of patients I am able to interact with in this part of Oregon, and the drive through this region is consistently beautiful through the seasons. Nephrology is a diverse specialty with aspects that overlap several other organ systems. I had a hard time choosing just one aspect of medicine I liked so this was perfect fit for me. Also, because of the complex role the kidneys play in the body, when they are not working well, many other systems can be affected. The treatment plans have to be multi-faceted which keeps me on my toes. I spend a lot of time educating my patients about the various disease processes they may be afflicted with and like trying to explain these as it fosters a deeper understanding of what is going on and empowerment moving forward. Additionally, we have many tools at our disposal in modern medicine and I really believe in tailoring the treatment plan to the individual. Every patient is different and they need to be comfortable with the planning if we are to become successful together.

I am married to my lovely wife Joanne who I met at Oregon State. In addition to taking care of everything else that I don’t do outside of medical practice, she has her hands full daily trying to keep our hyperactive German Sheppard out of trouble. When not working, I can usually be found somewhere outside. I enjoy working in our yard, as it can be mentally therapeutic. I also have remained an avid sportsman. I still enjoy various modalities of skiing and hiking. I have also become involved in several water sports as well and frequent our Columbia River Gorge for windsurfing, downwind stand-up paddling runs, and even the increasingly popular wind foils. I also practice swimming in case I need to make it back to shore by an alternative modality, but the conditioning benefits are immense as well. There are several great rivers even closer to home that make for a mellower stand up paddleboard session and great exercise. The body feeds the mind, or at least that’s my mental justification.