Matthew R. Riley, MD

“I love teaching kids about how their bodies work. Our bellies are like a mysterious box: food goes in, magic happens and poop comes out,” says pediatric gastroenterologist Matthew Riley, M.D. “That’s all most people need to know, until something goes wrong. At that point, it is important to understand what actually goes on in there, so we can solve the puzzle and find a solution to getting you feeling better.”

Dr. Riley believes his most important role as a provider is to be a good listener.

“Many families I see have had a long journey before they make it to my exam room,” he shares. “They often have seen multiple providers in multiple settings and have not gotten the answers they need. Only when I understand that journey can I discover how I can help ease their way.

“My guiding principles are: I am only going to recommend treatments that I think have a good chance of working; I will only recommend tests and procedures that I think will give us valuable information; I will try to assure that everything we do moves us in a direction that allows a child to experience their full potential.

“I can be a little goofy and I absolutely love what I do,” he continues. “I enjoy being able to talk about things that many people do not feel comfortable talking about. I get to say ‘poop’ about 50 times a day. I enjoy getting to have honest, frank conversations with kids and their families. I love that we can improve the lives of kids and their families, often with fairly straightforward interventions.”

Dr. Riley grew up as the son of a high school English teacher.

“I saw my dad’s dedication to education and the rewards that came from impacting young peoples’ lives. In college, I developed a love for the natural sciences, language and problem solving,” Dr. Riley shares. “Being a pediatric physician combines all of the things I love most: helping kids, solving puzzles, learning and teaching.”

He chose to focus on pediatric gastroenterology for several reasons.

“During my pediatric residency, I discovered that I loved a mix of clinic (outpatient) and hospital (inpatient) medicine. I also love doing procedures. Pediatric gastroenterology is an amazing field that combines all of these,” he says. “I also get to care for the entire pediatric population, from premature infants to young adults.

“Many of our patients have other major health concerns, including diseases of the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. I get to keep my finger on the pulse of all of these fields and stay connected to colleagues outside of my specialty area. Also, we manage a huge spectrum of medical problems, from those that frustrate a child’s daily activities to life threatening.”

Dr. Riley attended medical school at Oregon Health Sciences University and completed a pediatric residency at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. He then completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at Stanford University Medical Center/Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. During that time, he was also a research fellow in gastroenterology at the University of California, San Francisco, where his research focused on the diagnosis and management of fatty liver disease in children. He received his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College in French and Linguistics.

Before joining our team in 2017, Dr. Riley co-founded Northwest Pediatric Gastroenterology LLC in 2005. As clinical director of Providence Pediatric Gastroenterology, Dr. Riley develops and enhances clinically-focused pediatric gastroenterology services for children in Oregon and Southwest Washington. He also serves as the pediatric gastroenterologist for the Providence Center for Medically Fragile Children, the only pediatric skilled nursing facility in the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Riley was born and raised in San Jose, California, and has lived in Belgium and France. He has previously been involved in work with the Northwest Autism Foundation and has a special interest in caring for children with complex medical conditions. He enjoys cooking as he finds it to be a wonderful combination of nutrition, nurturing and creativity. He also enjoys travel. Dr. Riley has a son who loves sports and music. He considers his son to have been his most valuable teacher in learning compassion and patience.