Member Highlight

Name: Cyndi McCormick, DO, MS

Where you work: River Hills Community Health Center
with fulltime clinic plus medical director and Ottumwa Regional Health as parttime inpatient and director

Typical day in your shoes: Wake up around 5AM usually because of a kid or dog needing something stat. During the week I’m at clinic by 630AM and start with any director duties, seeing patients at 7AM, typically no lunch, and end between 5-7pm depending on the day. I usually deal with any hospital issues that pop up during the day as well as the director duties. After work I head home and get much needed family time. 

What inspired you to pursue psychiatry? I have always been interested in psychiatry/mental health as I have a BA and MS in psychology. I have also loved the intersection of internal medicine and psychiatry and began residency in that program at UIHC.  But after having my first daughter, I finished residency in psychiatry only but I’m eternally grateful for the internal medicine training I did receive. I love the variety in what I see every day. I see kids thru geriatric patients and encounter pretty much anything you can think, with some of the most SPMI patients I’ve ever seen. I also do MAT treatment and I’m branching into obesity medicine treatment. I love being able to sometimes make a huge difference in my patients’ lives but also their families’ lives as well. 

What is your favorite part of your job? Developing a long-term therapeutic relationship with my patients and providing a much-needed service to my community. 

Who has inspired you? My mom and dad to begin with. They are the hardest working people I know and showed me the value of hard work, respect, persistence, and to never give up. Another inspiration in my life is my amazing husband who has supported me through all my crazy adventures/ideas/education and inspired me with his hard work, dedication, and unwavering support (and especially now as he radically changed his life/career to become a stay-at-home dad so I could continue to do what I love). He never complains about anything and dives head first into everything he does; he inspires me every day.

How do you spend your free time?  What’s that? I have a six-year-old and two-year-old twins. Just kidding. I just got back into horses last year and now have three!! I’ve started competitively barrel racing again and enjoy sharing my equine love with my oldest daughter. I’m also trying my hand at crafting again and have a cricut machine, starting resin art, and now I’m learning crocheting!