Trust Precedes Healing: Dr. Sabina Ratner on Rheumatology, Whole-Person Care & Beating Burnout
Jul 27, 2026
Board-certified rheumatologist Dr. Sabina Ratner joins The Care2Grow Show to talk about what it really means to treat the whole patient — not just the diagnosis. Dr. Ratner shares her unexpected path from physician assistant to MD after a life-changing car accident, why she believes trust has to come before healing can happen, and how a simple habit (gowning every new patient for a full physical exam) uncovers what other providers miss.
She also opens up about training her staff to lead with empathy instead of judgment, building peer-support communities for young patients newly diagnosed with autoimmune conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, and the personal practices — gratitude, affirmations, and her own self-care routine — that keep her from burning out.
Topics covered:
- Her journey from PA to MD after a serious accident
- Why trust precedes healing, and how she earns it in a first visit
- Training front-desk staff and residents to respond with curiosity, not judgment
- Building buddy-system support groups for young autoimmune patients
- Personal burnout-prevention strategies for providers
- Why she's pursuing functional nutrition and integrative medicine
Connect with Dr. Larry Arbeitman and Care2Grow Consulting: https://www.care2growconsulting.com/
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