Rex Puterbaugh, M.D.

I don’t have the easiest name to spell or pronounce, (to help remember, one patient called me “Dr. Computer-bah”), otherwise a lot of patients just go with “Dr. Rex.”

Born and raised in Portland, my path to pediatrics first started here at The Children’s Clinic, shadowing Dr. Beverly Wittkopp before medical school. I followed a circuitous route that led from the University of San Diego to the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, to Oregon State (go Beavs!) and eventually to Dr. Wittkopp.

What do I like most about being a pediatrician? I enjoy the unique privilege of caring for children and the relationships that develop with patient families as developmental stages progress from infancy through adolescence. I also enjoy talking like a duck to try and get kids laughing or just help them relax during the visit.

I share a practice with Dr. Rebecca Lacey. We work well together, and I always feel assured that when I am out of the office, she will provide excellent care for my patients. I also love the job share system we have, since it gives patients a back-up doctor with whom they become familiar over the years.

My wife, Emily (also a pediatrician at our Tualatin office), and I live in Portland with our three children, two cats and a flock of chickens. We enjoy spending time in the backyard with our kids, vegetable garden, berries and fruit orchard, and love taking our kids for walks or bike rides or trips to the Oregon coast. I know it’s cliché, but I’m also a doctor who loves golf. I also enjoy running, baking sourdough bread or pizza, taking on a woodworking or house project, and reading whenever possible.