Another life saved .. Thanks Caroline Family practice

Every day I come to clinic praying that I don’t come across a patient who hasn’t seen a doctor in years. The fear comes from the fact that constant neglect of personal health care leads to unintended consequences and the healthcare professionals feel helpless in some cases. Fortunately one of my recent experiences with a patient proved me wrong and I’m glad the way it turned out .
Recently a patient came to my office complaining that for some years he had been experiencing fatigue and loss of weight. The patient apparently thought that it was routine due to her strenuous lifestyle and attributed weight loss to the active life. Although, I was happy that the patient didn’t complain of many symptoms but as soon as the patient indicated that he hadn’t seen a doctor in years, I immediately knew that there is more to the story. We ordered a series of test to confirm the initial diagnosis of diabetes. The tests confirmed my fears. Now I was more concerned that this patient had been living with diabetes for years without knowing it. I sent him to the hospital right away to check for any heart problems that might have developed due to uncontrolled diabetes. The patient was diagnosed with blocked arteries and was operated upon immediately. The hospital informed that if he had been late, it could have been fatal. The whole family came to the office to thank me and all of them wanted to get evaluated. It turned out that all of them had diabetes and high cholesterol. They are all on a treatment plan.
I wondered what would have been the outcome if it was not for the Caroline Family practice. For me it is more than a job. It is a life savior to community which lacks access to basic healthcare and folks who cannot afford insurance. I grew in a household where it was emphasized that a doctor is a life savior. Although I agree with that notion, but at the same time I feel that you also need proper support to make difference in peoples’ lives. I’m extremely lucky that I am working at Caroline Family practice. I’m able to fulfill my childhood dream of helping needy but I’m also doing that I like the most.

Work and life Balance

The challenges faced by healthcare professionals are tremendous. There is a constant demand for high quality care and reducing medical errors. There are times when professionals in the forefront of delivery of healthcare services are affected due to the stress levels caused by the work and life balance issues. A healthcare professional needs to address the work and life balance issues effectively in order to be productive. There is a personal aspect of how people balance these issues but an effective work environment can also drastically help balancing work life issues.
Although, I have not struggled with the work life balance issues during my career due to solid family support, I’m fortunate that Caroline Family practice provides a perfect environment to balance it. I am glad that I have a great team of professionals who are dedicated to provide quality service, a management team that is always looking for ways to reducing errors and great call schedule that helps the team to be highly productive. We are encouraged to look for ways to improve productivity and voice our concerns.
Everyday I’m always ready to take on new challenges. I know that not only can I take care of my patients but I’m also home everyday enjoying the company of my loving family.

My recent experience at

Every day at Caroline Family Practice (CFP) , I come across patients who haven’t seen a doctor in years. Long gaps in annual checkups or preventive care often lead to unattended illnesses. These can lead to undesired situations for patients and their families. Recently I came across an individual who hadn’t seen a doctor in years. Every time I think about that person, I wonder if the outcome would have been different if that person had received quality healthcare earlier. That person is always in my mind and I hope the best for that person.
This person hadn’t seen a doctor in 20 years due to lack of insurance and lack of access to healthcare. Had it not been for the cough in the blood, I doubt that individual would have taken serious note of the situation. Unfortunately, I knew right away that it is serious and required attention. Several tests confirmed my fear that the person was suffering from cancer. I was worried that apart from cancer there could be other illnesses that had to be addressed. I ordered several tests and I was not surprised to find higher cholesterol but also hypertension. My heart went out to that person and his family. I choked up and wondered how I could help. Our team scrambled to develop a management plan. The family came up to me and said “You are a life savior and our God”. I know I’m not a God and but I know that I need all the resources as a doctor to help this individual. This is when I realized that I was at the right place. I am so lucky that I have all the resources, a great team and support structure to manage this patient.

MY MEMORABLE MOMENTS AT CVHS

I have been working with Caroline Family Practice (CFP) for more than a year. It has provided me with an excellent opportunity to provide care for a variety of people from different walks of life. Working for a community healthcare center like CFP has opened my eyes to the kind of challenges faced by people in these underserved areas.
Bowling Green is no more unique than any other underserved area in this country. Apart from providing care to people with access to healthcare, I routinely come across uninsured people who never had access to any kind of quality healthcare or preventive education. It is not unusual to find people who haven’t had a doctor visit in years. It gives me great sense of accomplishment that I’m able to provide basic healthcare to these individuals despite lack of insurance. The center doesn’t refuse treatment to anyone, insured or uninsured. I’m part of a team that is constantly looking for ways to reduce treatment costs for our patients, irrespective of the type of care required (i.e. office visits or drugs). We are also working hard on educating our patients on how to prevent diseases via regular office visits, annual diagnostic exams and lifestyle changes. It is very rewarding for me to see a drastic change in our community. There is better awareness among patients around managing their own lifestyles. People need access to information to manage diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.
When I joined Caroline Family Practice, I was aware of the challenges ahead of me. I learned quickly that not only would I be able to make a difference among individual patients, but I’m also able to contribute to the community in a significant way. I have been able to strike a perfect balance between work, serving the community and my own personal life. I leave everyday from the center knowing that I have been able to make a difference.

Greetings to our July Author - Dr. Rachna Dhar

Dr. Rachna Dhar feels peace in her soul because of her work in community health.  She gets to help other people, and they in turn truly appreciate what she does for them. “What else could you want as a doctor,” asks Dr. Dhar?

Rachna Dhar was born and raised in Kashmir, Srinagar in India. She was very inspired by Mother Teresa’s work in India and wanted to help people, like Mother Teresa did. Her mother suggested she could help others by becoming a doctor. The seed was planted. By age 5, Dr. Dhar was already calling herself “Dr.”

Given the unrest in Kashmir at the time, it was not feasible for Dr. Dhar to go to medical school there. So at age 17, she left home alone for Russia. She attended medical school in Moscow. Later she moved to the US, took her equivalency exams, and moved to NY to complete her residency at Brooklyn Hospital. Her husband and young son lived in CT, but the commuting was too tough given the demands on a resident, so she was only able to go home and spend time with them on weekends. It was a challenging time for the young family.

After residency, they moved to PA where Dr. Dhar began her medical work as a Hospitalist. Later she joined a private practice where her work grew to include an outpatient clinic and several nursing homes in addition to inpatient duties. Her job was very demanding and the hours were long. Then her husband was transferred to the Richmond area in 2010, and so she began to look for a job nearby.
Her husband found out about physician jobs in community health. “You will thank me!” he told her. At the time she didn’t understand what he meant.  She researched Virginia community health jobs on PracticeLink, and contacted the Virginia Community Healthcare Association about opportunities that were listed around the Richmond area.

She began working at Caroline Family Practice, part of Central Virginia Health System, in August of 2010. Now she understands what her husband meant, and she does thank him for discovering community health opportunities. She is able to balance her professional life with her family’s needs and feels like she is getting the best of both worlds. “My patients are so appreciative of everything I do.” The patients call her their “life saver” and Caroline Family Practice “heaven”.  “It’s very rewarding,” says Dr. Dhar. At the same time, she is able to be home every evening with her family.
What surprised her most about working in community health? She “never expected that people in America would have gone for so long without seeing a doctor because they didn’t have insurance or couldn’t afford it.” And her biggest challenge? “Not just caring for her patients clinically, but helping them find the ways and means to take care of themselves – like finding affordable medicines to help them, and discount programs for medications.”

Dr. Dhar would encourage anyone contemplating medical school to consider Primary Care. “It offers more diversity in the types of patients, diagnosis and treatment. There is a lot to learn and they will always be learning.” And she would also encourage them to consider working in a community health center. “CHC work is for people who became a doctor because they wanted to help people. If that’s what brought someone to medicine, they will love the job.” Like Dr. Dhar.