Dr. Allison Crisp came to OLE Health in 2017 as a pediatrician. After serving as Medical Director for Pediatrics, she was appointed Medical Director for the OLE Health Napa Valley Vintners North Napa Campus on Pear Tree Lane in 2023. Allison was drawn to OLE Health by her own experiences growing up as one of seven adopted children in a single parent household. Her family experienced financial struggles, and she knew she wanted to make a difference in the lives of those most in need of support. A love of children, coupled with a joy for teaching and realization of how profound engagement can be in the health of a family and the trajectory of a child, she decided to pursue a career in pediatrics.
It hasn’t always been easy, but Allison says, “Some of my hardest days are my best days.” We spoke to her about her passion for serving this community and her vision for the North Napa Campus.
What brought you to OLE Health?
I met my partner in medical school, and he lived in Napa. Knowing I would come back to Napa after training, I looked at the opportunities to work in a Federally Qualified Health Care (FQHC) setting.
An FQHC is uniquely set up to focus on those social determinants of health. We think about all the external factors that play a part in what keeps a person healthy or creates a situation in which they’re limited in achieving health. Being able to have the support of care coordinators who really focus on what those access barriers are; the design of a clinic like OLE really gives the best opportunity to impact all aspects of health.
I find joy in being able to help families thrive when otherwise faced with barriers and limited resources so OLE was a natural fit.
What is your vision for the North Napa Campus, and what do you see as challenges and opportunities?
Being Medical Director of a site is more expansive than my role overseeing pediatrics. It has been an interesting process to challenge myself to look at an issue from all service line vantage points: front office/patient access, medical assistants, providers, etc. I’ve made a lot of diagrams!
OLE is designated as a patient-centered medical HOME. I want the health center to feel that way, not only for our patients but providers and staff. I want staff to feel ownership and joy in their work, and providers to be able to focus on the work that gives them satisfaction: patient care. When people have that level of comfort and enjoyment, it permeates out and patients will feel it too.
I think the biggest obstacle we face right now is needing more providers. We’re recruiting, and I am focused on creating the best 
possible environment for our providers so that they feel fulfilled and want to stay.
We just raised money to renovate the North Napa Campus. How do you see the renovation benefitting patients at the site?
These renovations will make the space more efficient for us and more accessible for our patients. By moving the pharmacy downstairs, we can extend the hours. We can improve their experience at the lab by integrating the space better. We will also be able to make improvements to the clinic. Having an efficient, up to date space and equipment demonstrates how a person is valued and deserves quality care.
