Connections: April 2024 - 8

>>Listening to doctors
Medicine is a demanding profession, but is also a very fulfilling one.
We asked doctors across Dartmouth Health to tell us what is most
rewarding-and most challenging-about being a physician right now.
Cindy Reuter, ND, MSOM, MPH, LAc
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
ALICE PECK DAY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
" The biggest reward is helping people feel more optimism and self-efficacy around their
health. Many people feel hopeless and defeated by the time they seek out Integrative
Medicine services. I love seeing them light up even a little when they understand that
there are concrete steps they can take to feel better, and that I will be their guide for
the work.
The hardest part now is that life feels difficult and uncertain for many people, even
folks who seem well resourced. The last few years have left so many people exhausted
and anxious. At the same time, people feel like they should be actively 'doing' so much,
and it's sometimes a challenge to get people to slow down. Good health does require
some effort on our part, but it also requires us to rest, to be quiet, to receive healing. "
Champa Abeysinghe,
MD, FACP
PRIMARY CARE
NEW LONDON HOSPITAL
MEDICAL GROUP
" Here at New London Hospital, I
have been rewarded with a group
of patients who wholeheartedly
appreciate getting reliable
access to primary care, and I
enjoy meeting my patients and
their family members. The most
satisfying aspect of the experience
is building lasting relationships
that lead to continuity of care.
When I was a medical student,
Stephanie Ihezie, MD
SECTION OF NEUROSURGERY
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY
DARTMOUTH HITCHCOCK MEDICAL CENTER
" With the advances in technology-ranging from imaging modalities for making
a diagnosis all the way to the equipment we have available to us in the operating
room for actually treating disease once the diagnosis is made-our ability to manage
the health of patients has improved. With these tools we are better able to give
patients their lives back, or at least extend their survival so they can have more time
to do the things they love with the people they love.
The biggest challenge is when a patient bounces back to the hospital in worse
condition than when they were discharged due to a preventable or mitigatable
factor rather than natural progression of their disease. We can see this in today's
world of healthcare because of limited access to healthcare or disparities in other
social determinants of health for certain populations. "
I learned how continuity of care
makes a huge difference in the
lives of patients. Close follow-up
with focus on prevention was
the clear answer, which is the
main goal of my practice to this
day. One of the challenges in
continuity is unforeseen changes
in patient care plans forcing
us to change medications or
devices, causing patient anxiety.
I often use my prior experience
in clinical research with a
pharmaceutical background to
find the best solution. "

Connections: April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Connections: April 2024