Being a Family Doctor is a lot like Being a General Contractor

By Erika Sullivan, MD Being a family doctor is a lot like being a general contractor: you’ve got to know about all the systems that make a home or a building operational and then coordinate the necessary professionals to get the job of building or renovating the home done on budget and in a timely … More Being a Family Doctor is a lot like Being a General Contractor

Refugee Experience

By Patricia Avelar I was shadowing Dr. Kirby as he conducted a refugee screening with a woman from Somali and two of her small children.  As he asked the woman general questions about her and her children’s health, she explained through an interpreter that she had three other children in addition to the two present … More Refugee Experience

Who is YOUR Doctor?

Who is your primary care physician?  If you can’t answer this question, then you need a doctor – a primary care doctor – so that when you are ill, when you need preventive care, when you need medication, you have someone to care for you. Thirty to fifty percent of physicians don’t have a doctor. I … More Who is YOUR Doctor?

When a provider systematically surrenders power to a patient – verbally, structurally and physically – the patient is empowered and trust is developed.

By Bob Chestnut, MD In patient-provider interactions, the provider holds almost all the cards. The provider is on her home turf. She has years of medical training and experience and ultimately holds decision power in pursuing further diagnostic tests or prescribing therapeutic interventions. In contrast, the patient is placed in a small exam room. He … More When a provider systematically surrenders power to a patient – verbally, structurally and physically – the patient is empowered and trust is developed.