Liberty Doctors
Tell us about a time when being a woman in health care offered an advantage.
Many of my patients, particularly women, tell me they feel comfortable talking to me about sensitive issues such as reproductive/sexual health and experiences of trauma. I think this allows me to obtain a more complete history and better diagnostic information. Additionally, patients have told me that I generally spend more time with them, listening more intently so they leave the interaction feeling satisfied.
Tell us about one of your patients’ success stories.
I had a patient call me on a Sunday afternoon and tell me he was taking a walk and couldn’t figure out how to get back to his house. I told him that he may be having a stroke and to go to his nearest emergency room immediately. Although nothing was found to cause his symptoms in the ER, I obtained further testing that revealed an over 80% blocked carotid artery. I connected him immediately to a vascular surgeon, who performed surgery to eliminate the blockage. As a result, the patient never had the stroke that could have disabled him or even killed him.
If you could change one thing about health care, what would it be?
I would love to give physicians more time with their patients. This would most certainly improve clinical outcomes.
