Peggy Kelley, MD

“I emphasize listening in my practice. If I can listen to the patient and their family well enough, I can often get to the right treatment more quickly. I love puzzles; I do not shy away from the tough cases,” says Peggy Kelley, M.D., FACS, FAAP. “I like to laugh with patients and their families and am not afraid to cry with them. My most important role is to care for patients and their families. Parents should know that I will treat their child as if they were my very own.”

Dr. Kelley became a physician and surgeon because she likes to fix things and feels called to help others.

“I chose otolaryngology because the specialty is absolutely fascinating,” shares Dr. Kelley. “Three of our five senses are in the ear, nose or throat realm. The face is the purveyor of our ‘first impression.’ The neck is the conduit for all the functions that the brain sends out to the body and breathing and speaking are right up there with the most important things we can do as a human.”

Dr. Kelley serves in a variety of leadership roles, including: as treasurer for the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology; president elect of the Interamerican Association of Pediatric Otolaryngology; executive board member of the section of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery for the American Academy of Pediatrics; and 2022 president of the Oregon Academy of Otolaryngology. She is also clinical director of pediatric otolaryngology for Providence Pediatric ENT.

She has been recognized regularly over the years by a handful of outlets, with the likes of U.S. News and World Report, as Best or Top Doctor as well as Outstanding Teacher. She is passionate about lifelong learning, ensuring she is up to date now and into the future.

Prior to joining Providence, Dr. Kelley most recently cared for children at Children’s Hospital Colorado. She was also an associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

No stranger to the Pacific Northwest, Dr. Kelley attended medical school at Oregon Health & Science University. She was born in Klamath Falls and raised in the mid-Willamette Valley where her parents still live. Her in-laws live in Coos Bay. She met her husband during medical school and they have two children; one is a veterinarian and one is a corporate jet mechanic. They also have a Portuguese water dog and a cat. Dr. Kelley speaks some German, Spanish and American Sign Language.

In her spare time, Dr. Kelley enjoys horseback riding (she hopes to get an Icelandic horse), gardening and the outdoors. In the past she especially enjoyed running, triathlons and rugby. She now focuses more on hiking and walking along the beach. Before returning to Oregon, Dr. Kelley also actively volunteered as a Sunday school teacher in Colorado and was a member of the Colorado Portuguese Water Dog Society.