Randall Rissman
Photography

The Maverick Doc
of Woodstock

In 1982, Randy founded Maverick Family Health Center in Woodstock, which he still co-directs. He became the kind of doctor who needed to know not just what was wrong with a patient's elbow, but who the patient was, who was in their family, what else was going on in their lives. Patients came from far and wide. He treated generations of the same families.

He knew local legends like Pete Seeger, Albert Grossman, and Paul Butterfield personally. He received the St. Benedict Award for compassionate service to the community, founded the Hudson Valley Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and served as chairman of the Department of Family Medicine at Kingston Hospital.

He is a colorblind photographer who loves taking close-up shots of flowers, lichen, water reflections, and grasses. He thinks his color blindness gives him a unique perspective. His framed photographs long decorated the waiting room and exam rooms of his medical practice.

He has a Catskills garden that sometimes resembles a jungle for its lushness and bounty. He can often be found in the hammock with the New York Times.