Brian s. Sayers, MD, MaPM

Dr. Sayers is a lifelong Austinite. He attended Austin High and U.T. Austin before attending the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas. He went on to do an Internal Medicine residency at University of New Mexico Affiliated Hospitals in Albuquerque. Upon completing his Internal Medicine training, he was accepted for a two-year Rheumatology fellowship at the U.T. Health Science Center in San Antonio.

After training and board certification in both Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Dr. Sayers returned to Austin. He practiced briefly with the Austin Diagnostic Clinic, but wanted a smaller, more personal practice setting for his patients and soon established his own private practice and has practiced in this patient-centered atmosphere ever since. 

He is a 2011 graduate of The Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, receiving a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry. His ministries since graduation have included Ministry of Challenge, a faith-based, residential drug and alcohol rehab program for indigent and homeless men in east Austin, and Texas Reach Out's Matthew House, a faith-based transitional house for recently incarcerated men who are trying to rebuild their lives upon release into society.

Dr. Sayers has been involved in organized medicine in Austin for many years, serving in many leadership positions, including Travis County Medical Society President. During his time with TCMS, he has made the focus of his work enhancing the availability of medical care for indigent residents of Travis County. Among his volunteer activities, he serves as a volunteer physician at Volunteer HealthCare Clinic, a non-profit that primarily serves undocumented immigrates, most of whom have no access to healthcare through the current safety net system in Travis County. He also serves on the Executive Committee and as co-medical director of Project Access, a project of the Travis County Medical Society Foundation that provides free medical care to the working poor.

He has been deeply involved in projects related to physician health. He serves as chair of the TCMS Physician Health and Rehabilitation Committee, supporting and monitoring physicians in recovery,  and is the founding chair of the TCMS Physician Wellness Program (PWP). PWP provides anonymous counseling for physicians in need, along with a variety of educational and self-help programs to promote physician well-being and enhance patient care quality and safety.  As of 2023, the program had provided over 2,000 counseling visits for over 400 physicians.

For his body of work, he has been highly recognized by his peers, serving as president of the 4,500 member Travis County Medical Society in 2011 and in 2017 he was awarded the Gold-Headed Cane/Physician of the Year award by that same organization.  He has been named by his peers as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor annually since 2010 and as a Texas Super Doctor annually since 2004

He and his childhood sweetheart and wife Maryann, have three children, seven grandchildren and live in central Austin where, in addition to time with his family and volunteer activities, he enjoys running (well, sort of) on the Shoal Creek Hike and Bike trail, cheering on the Longhorns, and an occasional, ill-fated attempt at golf.  Most weekends he can be found at the family olive and apple grove in Fayette County.

Peregrino Physician Coaching was created in 2021, a natural progression of a career long dedicated to supporting the professional and spiritual health of his colleagues. People who care about each other, all sharing a common pilgrimage to wholeness.

Undergraduate:

• University of Texas at Austin

Graduate Education:

• Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, Master of Arts Pastoral Ministry, 2011

Medical Education and Training:

• University of Texas Southwestern Medical School

Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine:

• University of New Mexico Affiliated Hospitals

Fellowship in Rheumatology/Clinical Immunology:

• University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

• Internal Medicine
• Rheumatology

• Austin Diagnostic Clinic
• Partner, Austin Rheumatology and Osteoporosis Associates, LLP, January 2000-2006.
• Austin Rheumatology Research, P.A., 2002-2016
• Solo Practice, 2007-Current.

Medical Staff Appointments

• Chief, Rheumatology Section,  Ascension Seton Family of Hospitals, 1992-present

Professional Organizations

• Travis County Medical Society
• Texas Medical Association
• American Medical Association
• American College of Rheumatology
• Central Texas Rheumatology Society, President and Co-Founder.
• Founder, Peregrino Physician Coaching, LLC
• Professional Training and Certifications

                 Physician Coaching Institute

                 Life Coach Training Institute

• Founder, Peregrino Physician Coaching, LLC

                 Life Coaching and Spiritual Direction

• Professional Training and Certifications:

                 Physician Coaching Institute

                 Life Coach Training Institute

Travis County Medical Society:

• President, 2011
• Secretary-Treasurer, 2008-2009
• Executive Committee, 2004- 2012
• Chair, Physician Health and Rehabilitation Committee, 2015- present.
• Founder and Chair, Physician Wellness Program, 2016- present.
• Indigent Care Task Force, Chairman, 2010-2012.
• Board of Ethics 2003-2005, Chair 2004-2005
• Mediation Committee, 1999- 2002, Chair 2002

Travis County Medical Society Foundation :

• President, 2012
• Board of Trustees, 2004- 2012

The Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas:

• Board of Trustees, 2008-2012

• TCMS Physician Wellness Program, Founder and Chair, 2017- present.
• Volunteer HealthCare Clinic, Volunteer Physician, 1997- present.
• Seton Cove, Board of Directors, 2011-2013
• Project Access, Board of Directors, 2011- current
• Ministry of Challenge- weekly group meeting facilitator/volunteer.
• Texas Reach Out/ Matthew House- weekly group meeting facilitator/volunteer.
• St. Luke's Society, Physician Volunteer.
• Capital Area Branch, Arthritis Foundation, Board of Directors, President (1990), Distinguished Public Service Award.

• Travis County Medical Society Physician of the Year, 2017.
• Castle Connolly Top Doctor annually 2010-2022
• Texas Super Doctor annually 2004-2022

• Sayers, Brian S., “Clinical Aspects of Sjogren’s Syndrome,” Audio Digest Otolaryngology, 20(16).
• Talal, N., Sayers, B., et. al., “Two Patients Illustrating Lymphoma Transition and Response to Therapy in Sjogren’s Syndrome,” Journal of Autoimmunity, 1(1), pp. 171-184.
• Sayers, Brian, “Does Explantation Improve Symptoms in Women with Silicone Breast Implants?” (abstract), Arthritis and Rheumatism, 38(6), p. RR17,1995.
• Sayers, Brian S., “Macrocytosis is not a predictor of Toxicity in Patients Treated for Rheumatoid Arthritis with Methotrexate,” (abstract), Arthritis and Rheumatism, 39(6), Supplement, p. R11, 1996.
• Sayers, Brian S., “Chronic Amitriptyline Use Causes Weight Gain in Patients with Fibromyalgia,” (abstract), Arthritis and Rheumatism, 39(9), p. S92,1996.
• Sayers, B., A Stonecutter’s Story. TCMS Journal, 57(1):6-8, 2011.
• Sayers, B., Covenant. TCMS Journal, 57(2):6-8, 2011.
• Sayers, B., Indigent Care in Travis County: Seeing the Need – Navigating the Maze.TCMS Journal, 57(2):14-16.
• Sayers, B., Amaryllis in a Box. TCMS Journal 57(3):6-8, 2011.
• Sayers, B., Blank Pages. TCMS Journal 57(4):6-8, 2011.
• Sayers, B., The World’s Tiniest Violin Playing the World’s Saddest Song. TCMS Journal, 57(5):6-8, 2011.
• Sayers, B., Report on Access to Specialty Care for Indigent Patients. TCMS Journal, 57(6):16-27, 2011.
• Sayers, B., Harvest. TCMS Journal 57(6):6-8, 2011.
• Sayers, B., Physician Wellness Program: Keeping the Flame Alive, TCMS Journal, 63(5), 14-15, 2017.
• Sayers, B., TCMS Wellness Program: A New Model for Providing Mental Health Services to Physicians, TCMS Journal, 65(3): 12-13, 2019.
• Sayers, B., Who Will Care for the Caregiver?, TCMS Journal, 66(4): 12-13, 2020.
• Sayers, B,. How to Save a Life, TCMS Journal, 67(1), 12.  January, 2021 . 
• Sayers, B., Standing on Holy Ground, KevinMD.com, January 8, 2022.
• Sayers, B., An Officer of the Court, KevinMD.com, April 20, 2022.
• Sayers, B. , Recovery, TCMS Journal, 68(4), April-May, 2022.
• Unlearning our habits:  a journey from intelligence to wisdom, KevinMD.com, March, 2023.
• Sayers, B., A Train in the Distance,  TCMS Journal, January 2024.
• Sayers, B. Physician Suicide Awareness Day:  A Call to Action Against a Silent Epidemic.  Kevinmd.com September 2024.

Major Speaking Events

• Texas Hospital Association/Hospital Executives Session.  Speaker, January 2017.
• Texas Medical Association Fall Conference, "True North:  Rethinking Physician Wellness."  September 2018.
• Central Texas Primary Care Alliance Annual Meeting. Featured Speaker. October 2018.
• Texas Hospital Association Annual Meeting of Hospital Executives.  Featured Speaker. October 2018.
• Texas Medical Association Fall Conference.   "Physician Wellness." September, 2022.
• Travis County Medical Society Annual Well-Being Symposium, Program Director and Speaker, 2017-2023.  Statewide via TMA/TMLT 2022, 2023.
• Texas Medical Association Leadership Conference, January 2024. 
• Coalition for Physician Well-Being, Quarterly National Webinar, June 2024.

Teaching and Workshops

• Dell Medical School, HART/Healer's Art Elective, invited faculty, 2019.
• Dell Medical School, Physician Wellness Workshop:  True North:  Calling, Values and Vocation in Medical Practice. Fall, 2021.
• "Spirituality in Medical Practice,"  Dell Medical School Humanities Elective, 2022,2023, 2024.