Thank you for the honor of being named Family Physician of the Year 2017. This is an honor that comes with great responsibility. Just being a family doctor is a dream come true. Every day I get to meet new people who I convince to trust me with their deepest darkest secrets and trust me to help them improve their health and to reach their goals. This is a tremendous responsibility that I do not take lightly and to be recognized for what I do every day is incredible.
What I and my fellow family doctors do is not easy, but it is fulfilling and rewarding in itself. To connect with families and see them grow over the years into healthy happy individuals, to cry with them through losses, to support them through failures, and encourage them through their successes is something I look forward to every day. I can pray with my patients when they ask for it, I connect with them in their own language when they only speak Spanish, and I can make them feel comfortable and empowered in a place where they may be the only one in their family who has experience navigating the health system. I teach my patients ways to improve and maintain their spiritual, emotional, physical, and overall wellbeing so that they can take ownership of their health while also working in partnership with their team.
Being able to successfully partner with patients to reach their goals is just one part of the entire healthcare team. My patients are part of the Patient-Centered Medical Home at Mosher Medical Center with Lifetime Health Medical Group. Partners in their care include not only me, but also nurses, patient service representatives, and community health navigators. We all work together to help the patient be as happy and healthy as possible. So my part in their treatment is just a piece of the puzzle. Being able to have a whole team that works with me is what really makes a difference. I learn valuable lessons every day not only from my patients but from members of our team. Therefore, I’d like to dedicate this award to my team at Lifetime Health and my colleagues who are working with the passion and dedication that they must have in order to carry on this work, which at times can feel very overwhelming but in the end, it’s all worth it if we can all come together to be as healthy as possible and empower each other to live well.
Leave a Reply