Bayhealth doctor plants seeds of inspiration
Bayhealth family medicine physician Kandis Samuels-Leutzinger, MD, MPH, embodies a peaceful and humble nature.
As an African American physician leader in Delaware, she is planting seeds of inspiration among those she cares for, mentors and teaches. Samuels is a family medicine physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology. She’s also the associate director of Bayhealth’s Family Medicine Residency Program.
In celebration of Black History Month, Bayhealth is presenting stories of team members and providers in a series called Black Excellence That Inspires.
As a young girl, Samuels said there was a seed planted in her – it was a passion to help those who needed it most. She channeled her passion and set her sights on becoming a medical doctor.
In high school, she started looking for ways to grow that seed within and began volunteering at what was then Wilmington Hospital. She knew people needed to be treated well, and at the most basic level, all should be treated with fairness, kindness and respect, no matter their race.
Following high school, she joined the Delaware Air National Guard and became a flight medic. Samuels later worked as a missionary in Baltimore, focusing on after-school youth programs, food insecurity and poverty. “I learned the importance of advocacy and that there is truth in the saying that a small group of individuals can change the world,” she said.
Samuels lives by the golden rule of treating others as one would want to be treated. “It’s important to give others space to talk without passing judgment,” she said. “Truly listening to them, wherever they are in their lives.” She wants to be authentic with her patients, and give them the space and time to be heard.
As the Bayhealth Family Medicine Residency Program associate director, she wants to represent herself well and make choices that inspire others, particularly her Black peers. “I want to be an example that achievement is possible, no matter the adversity or circumstances. Challenges shape us. We must be willing to persevere,” she said. And she’s thankful for those who have paved the way before her and inspired her despite the hardships she’s experienced along the way.
Her impact extends well beyond the walls of her practice and Bayhealth. Samuels is the young physician coordinator for the National Medical Association’s First State chapter. She works with fellow Black physicians to eliminate inequalities in healthcare. This year, she participated in speaking engagements that focused on the health of the Black community battling COVID-19.
To learn more about Samuels or schedule an appointment with her at Bayhealth Family Medicine, Dover, go to Bayhealth.org/Find-A-Doc.
