First, I want to wish all of you a very happy and healthy New Year. I have just completed my 33rd year of practicing medicine at our Burke office and we now have a second location in Williamsburg. I consider myself the luckiest doctor in the world because I have the most incredibly wonderful patient base in the world. YOU keep me energized, passionate and eager to come to work every day. THANK YOU!!!
Second, I want to thank my team, Nataliya, Arunee, Norma, Ruth, Melissa, Melanie, Ashley, Anna and (soon to join us) Danielle for being equally passionate about helping people become happier and healthier. On the medical side of our practice, we have never closed down or steered away from seeing sick patients. During this almost 2 year pandemic we have seen hundreds of sick people that did not want to line up at an ER, were not very trustful of local urgent care centers and were told by their own doctors that they could not be seen in person. We chose to stay open and not make people feel like lepers. Seeing sick patients places our team in harm’s way, yet we continue to compassionately provide same day visits, in person, to our patients.
The way I see this: If I was afraid of seeing sick patients I should have become a dermatologist or ophthalmologist. I am a primary care doctor and I feel it is my duty and obligation to take care of ill patients. However, I am not alone at the office…our team is equally involved and placing themselves at risk. I cannot thank them enough for their devotion and sacrifice. Having said this, I do respect doctors and practices that choose to deflect ill patients to urgent cares and ERs. These doctors have spouses, children and other relatives and severe illness would be catastrophic for them.
Let’s all hope that 2022 brings an end to Covid 19, Delta, Omicron and any future mutations. We would all love to have our “old” lives back pre-pandemic. Until then, the best we can do is try to stay as healthy as possible. My team and I will be here to help you achieve heightened levels of health. Count on it!
