Ryan Sivertson, FLBC Class of 2004
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Over 20 years ago at the Free Lutheran Bible College, Dr. Ryan Sivertson chose his life verse, James 1:27: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (ESV)
Today, Sivertson works as the hands and feet of The Great Physician as an emergency medicine physician and chief of emergency medicine at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls. “I enjoy being there for patients and their families on the worst day of their lives,” Sivertson said. “We deal with a lot of darkness, but the love of God shines through every day.”
Besides working in the emergency room, Sivertson is also a husband to his wife, Cady, and dad to their four daughters. His vocation as a father has been a major influence on Sivertson’s perspective and compassion toward his patients.
“The intense love and care that I have for my children, I imagine that God has the same love for us,” Sivertson said. “Even when you’re seeing somebody for the 50th time that’s there with drug abuse or alcohol abuse, deep down, all God wants is for them to get better.”
Working with the underserved is a regular part of Sivertson’s work. Sivertson has had a patient ask him, “Why are you being so nice to me?” and Sivertson told them his compassion was because of this care God has for the patient. As he deals with brokenness, Sivertson has learned he must rely heavily on God and not let the darkness overshadow his perspective.
“I walk in every room remembering that this is God’s child that I’m taking care of, and ultimately, He wants His prodigal son or daughter to return home,” Sivertson said.
Getting his start at FLBC has been key to Sivertson’s perseverance through years of educational preparation and physically and emotionally draining work. “Spending those two years in God’s word really made a strong foundation,” Sivertson said. “(My work) is very difficult. There’s a lot of burnout. You deal with the worst side of humanity every day. But having that strong faith helps keep you grounded and helps to remind you that there is good in the world.”
During patient interactions, Sivertson is always ready to offer a hug, a shoulder for tears, and, if patients ask, a prayer. Sivertson places importance on thoroughly informing his patients. As he spends time with each group, he helps ensure that they understand what has happened medically, and steps for care going forward.
One of Sivertson’s favorite aspects of his job is the teamwork necessary in the emergency room. “Every day is variable,” Sivertson said. “You never know what’s coming through the door. I always say we are the experts in the first five hours of everything.”
Though he is the chief of the department, the emergency room is not a place for people with big heads, Sivertson said. Each person is essential, whether it is custodial staff cleaning places to put new patients, the front desk checking people in, or an 18-year-old medical technician performing their duties. “Ultimately we (all) want to save lives,” he said. “We all have integral roles no matter what we do.”
“We all have integral roles no matter what we do.”
Working in the medical field was not on Sivertson’s mind when he graduated high school. His mom suggested it the summer between his first and second year of FLBC, and following her suggestion, he eventually graduated with his doctorate from the University of South Dakota in 2012. He served his residency in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He chose Kalamazoo because it resembles Sioux Falls in patient population. It also excited Sivertson to be in Kalamazoo, where doctors hold a heritage of developments that have been essential to modern emergency medicine.
After residency, Sivertson spent the first years of his career working full-time on the emergency room floor in Sioux Falls. For the past two years, he served as vice chief of emergency medicine, which means 20% of his workload was dedicated to administrative work. With his promotion to chief of the department this spring, Sivertson will be increasing his administrative duties, creating better protocols for both the Sanford Health emergency room, as well as other emergency responders within the city and county. “By forming these protocols, I’m able to impact thousands of lives at a time,” Sivertson said.
As the responsibilities of his role have increased, Sivertson continues to rely on his faith, which was strengthened at FLBC, to carry out his work. “The strong foundation of knowledge of God’s word and His promises are integral to anybody’s life, especially when you’re going to be in a field where you are dealing with death and dying every day,” Sivertson said.
Though his daily work and routines are changing with his promotion, Sivertson’s heart for ministry is not. Each day he aims to continue to use his compassion and influence to benefit the needy, both on the emergency floor and through the protocols signed on his desk.
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