A little of this, a little of that...

One of the reasons that I became a family physician was that it allowed me to see a wide spectrum of patients. In a single morning I might take care of a mom, her aging father, and her toddler son. I love working across the life span, and my patients (and front desk schedulers) are happy with my desire to “take on all comers.” Each day, I look forward to the opportunity to dabble in different specialties. Whether the focus of the appointment involves pediatric neurology, gynecology, orthopedics or dermatology, I’m glad to flex my mental muscle to provide the best care to my patients.

Okay, so what exactly does that specifically have to do with why I love working in community health? Well, if you expand that concept of providing comprehensive care, to really providing COMPREHENSIVE care, then you’ll understand the hidden gem that is community health.

In my days before working in community health, I sometimes felt helpless, as my patients had limited opportunities to access the care that they needed. For example, if a patient came in with tooth pain, and I thought they required a filling or extraction, there was little that I could do if they didn’t have insurance, or weren’t already under the care of a dentist. Or, if that same patient was seeking mental health counseling services to help in the treatment of depression, my hands were tied. Sometimes the problem wasn’t access to a specific type of provider, but a patient wasn’t able to afford the medications that were recommended (not everything is on a $4 list, is it?). It seemed that despite my best efforts, there were some things that I couldn’t do for my patients.

As a physician at a community health center, I am able to offer many more services to my patients than I could have in my prior practice. If a patient has tooth pain, I can see if Dr. Mirmonsef, our on-site dentist, can make a space on her schedule. As I develop a treatment plan for depression, I tell patients that Ms. Mountcastle, our on-site licensed clinical social worker, would be glad to provide counseling services. When my patients need medications that they can’t afford, I am usually able to access our pharmacy’s services, and if the patient is eligible, obtain their medications at a significant reduction in cost.

In short, I have found that community health centers remove many of the barriers to care that prove to be stumbling blocks for most primary care providers and their patients. By offering so many levels of care under one roof, I can focus on my primary goal- offering so many aspects of care in my exam room.