I grew up nearby in Center Point, and my family doctor was Dr. Kenneth Andersen. I’m not sure I appreciated him so much during the trips to his office for ear infections when I was a young child. I’m not sure I appreciated him so much during my first sports physical “turn your head and cough” moment (and in fact I was probably mortified). But I do know that my Mom appreciated him for all the great care, and indeed caring, that we received as a family. From my ear infections, to casting my siblings’ broken arms, to digging egg shell out of my brother’s eye at 10 PM on Halloween night, my family seemed to find a way to keep Dr. Andersen busy. As the years passed and my siblings and I moved on to pursue whatever it is we chose, he would always keep tabs on us by asking Mom what we were up to and how we were doing. I think Mom considered him almost an extended member of the family. That’s how I grew up knowing family medicine, and I figured that’s what being a family physician meant.
Later, as I pursued my medical training at the University of Iowa, I had the opportunity to do clinical rotations with several family physicians in Cedar Rapids. Based upon those experiences, my experience with Dr. Andersen, and my observations as a practicing physician, I can say that Cedar Rapids is blessed with a rich tradition of great family doctors. That tradition is in no small part based upon the family medicine residency programs in Eastern Iowa, and in particular the Cedar Rapids Medical Education Foundation (CRMEF). Both hospitals in Cedar Rapids also have a history of supporting CRMEF and continuing medical education, making strong primary care in the area a goal for the past several decades and into the future.
I am excited and proud to be a part of such a rich tradition. I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather establish my practice.
Recent Comments