Family Medicine in Imperial County
Having a family doctor keeps your family's health over time. Dr. George Fareed, Medical Director, discusses family medicine.
Featuring:
George Fareed, MD
Dr. George C. Fareed is a Family Medicine Specialist in Brawley, California. He graduated with honors from Harvard Medical School in 1970 and has more than 49 years of diverse experience, especially in family medicine and internal medicine. Dr.Fareed is affiliated with many hospitals including Pioneers Memorial Hospital/ the Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District. At PIONEERS, Dr. Fareed serves as the Medical Director for the Pioneers Health Center in Brawley. Transcription:
Having a family doctor keeps your family's health over time. Dr. George Fareed, Medical Director, discusses family medicine.Prakash Chandran (Host): Having a family doctor is a great way to make sure everyone in your house stays healthy, no matter what age they are and today we’re going to learn about family medicine in Imperial County. Let’s talk with Dr. George Fareed, a Family Medicine Specialist at Pioneers Memorial Hospital and Medical Director of Pioneers Health Clinic of Brawley.
This is Pioneers Memorial Health Talk the podcast from Pioneers Memorial Hospital. I’m Prakash Chandran. So, first of all, Dr. Fareed, can you tell us what it is that you do as a Family Medicine specialist?
George Fareed, MD (Guest): It’s an honor for me to have the responsibility to help adults in the community, that is the individuals after they have completed their development and are no longer under pediatric care, if they are younger individuals and then of course, the whole spectrum of the adult population from the younger adults through those that enter middle age and then elderly adults.
And what I do is my goal is to provide the state-of-the-art of medical monitoring such that they can avoid the plagues of crippling illnesses that are now well-treated such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung disease, cancer and other diseases. And that’s my goal and what I do is I see patients on a regular basis either annually or semiannually or more frequently depending upon their problems and keep track of where they are in the course of their health; then use the resources that we have in this multispecialty clinic, called the the Pioneers Health Clinic, to offer them the families and the individuals, the current state of good medical care such that they are able to enjoy their lives and contribute to the community.
Host: Yeah, one of the benefits that I love about going to my family doctor is I really feel like they get to know me over time. And just so they have a baseline because before, I think I would always try to be explaining my entire medical history to every single doctor that I met but when I moved, I got a family doctor and it’s been so much more consistent so would you say that’s one of the major benefits of being a family physician?
Dr. Fareed: Yes and that’s very well stated. It’s very much the case and it’s been a real privilege to be able to be in that position here in the Imperial Valley and particularly in Brawley over the last 29 years since I’ve been in practice here. I have a interaction and familiarity and friendship with patients through different generations actually now and then as I go into the community to the market or to other areas, social places; I recognize my friends that are my patients. And some of them are very, very good friends of mine. So, that’s a very important aspect of being a Family medicine Specialist.
Host: I love that. They are probably like heh Dr. Fareed and you get to see them grow up and you can also take care of them. That’s so good.
Dr. Fareed: Yeah, it is. It’s inspiring and it motivates me to keep in practice for another 28 years if that’s feasible and perhaps to set a record here in the Imperial Valley.
Host: That sounds awesome. So, one of the things I wanted to ask you is because you mentioned you are seeing people after they can effectively leave that pediatric care; you actually have to know quite a bit, I imagine, because you are seeing everyone from children to someone that is quite elderly. So, tell me a little bit about the most common things that you treat and what you have to know as a family physician.
Dr. Fareed: Well, it’s a challenging field of medicine actually to carry out to the best of one’s ability and that, as you say, it’s very diverse and you have to be able to understand the full scope of medicine in reality. However, when I came here, 28 years ago, I was a solo practitioner and was somewhat isolated, but I always respected and appreciated the input of my colleagues from different specialties of medicine. But since I’ve been affiliated with Pioneers in this health clinic, that has 15 or more physicians some of whom are specialists; I have the very good dialogue that goes along with their being present here such that they can provide me with information and expertise that I may not be strong in and it is important to obtain continuing medical education to be acquainted with all the advances that exist in all the areas of adult medicine from psychiatry to endocrinology to cardiovascular to pulmonology to gastroenterology and others and dermatology.
And one of the wonderful aspects of being a family physician is that you’re constantly being stimulated in terms of your intellectual challenge to provide the state-of-the-art for individuals who walk in the door to be followed up on or to be seen as a new patient in the practice. And so, it’s not like being a focused specialist where you’re seeing the same type of condition over and over again, you don’t know what to expect quite frankly, what they are going to come in with, what the individual or the couple or the family are going to be complaining about or concerned about and need help with. So, that you are having to be on your toes with each individual that you see and I see maybe perhaps 30 patients a day or between 22 and 30 patients a day and so, at the end of the day, it’s gratifying but you are somewhat fatigued because of the effort that you are putting in, that I’m putting in intellectually and emotionally with these issues that are presented to me.
Host: Yeah but it is something that I can just tell in your voice that you really love what you do and what a great opportunity it is for someone seeing you to also have access to that support network of people that you’re speaking with and you’re learning from and you can refer them to if something more serious comes up, wouldn’t you say?
Dr. Fareed: Yeah, that’s absolutely the case. And that’s the culmination for me is where I am now in my career, in that I started off in academia many, many years ago and envisioned a career in research and new product discoveries for medicine and then went into the full scope of medical care by coming here to the Imperial Valley and that’s been very gratifying to be able to reach this point where I am able to have my colleagues within short steps away here in our expansive clinic or within the Imperial Valley when I need to reach people by phone for referrals or for input on management and I’m also right across the street from Pioneers Hospital such that I can send a person into the hospital easily when it’s warranted and know that they are going to be receiving the right care.
I also can walk across the street and see the patient that’s admitted to the hospital and discuss the case with the hospitalists and specialists that are involved in their care if it’s appropriate.
Host: Sounds like a fantastic and comprehensive community of caregivers.
Dr. Fareed: It’s become that way, yes. Absolutely.
Host: So, I want to shift a little bit to best practices. Aside from those unexpected illnesses that come up; I’m curious as to how often family members should get a checkup.
Dr. Fareed: Well, it varies quite a bit. And it’s something we’d like to improve upon in terms of the regularity of checkups such that it’s generally semiannually or depending on the age of the individual or annually if they have no serious medical issues that are being managed. However, there are situations where patients won’t come in for one or two or three years depending on how their activities allow them and whether they are actually not being serious about, responsible about their own personal health. But generally, for the majority of my patients, will be seen every three to four months and have follow-up laboratory testing either at that interval or every six months.
Host: Yeah, I just think that it’s probably a good thing to have that active pulse on your health. I have actually been trying to go more often especially as I have a child on the way, I want to make sure that I’m just as healthy as possible as I raise them.
Dr. Fareed: Yeah, that’s the right attitude to have and we’ve tried to instill that in our community and we’re working more for that as much as we can. Pioneers does a good deal of community outreach and this is moving us in the right direction for the future.
Host: So, as we wrap up here, I always like to ask the question, what do you wish that more of your patients knew before they came in to see you?
Dr. Fareed: That’s a great question. I wish that they would be able to know that we can provide the state-of-the-art treatments and also diagnoses for them to live long and more comfortable productive lives. And that they – I wish that they would be and I think they are actually, feeling welcome when they come in to our office and are being able to communicate freely and without any restrictions concerning what their needs are.
Host: All right Dr. Fareed, we really appreciate your time today. That’s Dr. George Fareed, a Family Medicine Specialist at Pioneers Memorial Hospital and Medical Director of the Pioneers Health Clinic of Brawley. Thanks for checking out this episode of Pioneers Memorial Health Talk. Head to www.pmhd.org to get connected with Dr. Fareed or another provider. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. We would love that. And be sure to check the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thanks you so much and we will see you next time.
Having a family doctor keeps your family's health over time. Dr. George Fareed, Medical Director, discusses family medicine.Prakash Chandran (Host): Having a family doctor is a great way to make sure everyone in your house stays healthy, no matter what age they are and today we’re going to learn about family medicine in Imperial County. Let’s talk with Dr. George Fareed, a Family Medicine Specialist at Pioneers Memorial Hospital and Medical Director of Pioneers Health Clinic of Brawley.
This is Pioneers Memorial Health Talk the podcast from Pioneers Memorial Hospital. I’m Prakash Chandran. So, first of all, Dr. Fareed, can you tell us what it is that you do as a Family Medicine specialist?
George Fareed, MD (Guest): It’s an honor for me to have the responsibility to help adults in the community, that is the individuals after they have completed their development and are no longer under pediatric care, if they are younger individuals and then of course, the whole spectrum of the adult population from the younger adults through those that enter middle age and then elderly adults.
And what I do is my goal is to provide the state-of-the-art of medical monitoring such that they can avoid the plagues of crippling illnesses that are now well-treated such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, lung disease, cancer and other diseases. And that’s my goal and what I do is I see patients on a regular basis either annually or semiannually or more frequently depending upon their problems and keep track of where they are in the course of their health; then use the resources that we have in this multispecialty clinic, called the the Pioneers Health Clinic, to offer them the families and the individuals, the current state of good medical care such that they are able to enjoy their lives and contribute to the community.
Host: Yeah, one of the benefits that I love about going to my family doctor is I really feel like they get to know me over time. And just so they have a baseline because before, I think I would always try to be explaining my entire medical history to every single doctor that I met but when I moved, I got a family doctor and it’s been so much more consistent so would you say that’s one of the major benefits of being a family physician?
Dr. Fareed: Yes and that’s very well stated. It’s very much the case and it’s been a real privilege to be able to be in that position here in the Imperial Valley and particularly in Brawley over the last 29 years since I’ve been in practice here. I have a interaction and familiarity and friendship with patients through different generations actually now and then as I go into the community to the market or to other areas, social places; I recognize my friends that are my patients. And some of them are very, very good friends of mine. So, that’s a very important aspect of being a Family medicine Specialist.
Host: I love that. They are probably like heh Dr. Fareed and you get to see them grow up and you can also take care of them. That’s so good.
Dr. Fareed: Yeah, it is. It’s inspiring and it motivates me to keep in practice for another 28 years if that’s feasible and perhaps to set a record here in the Imperial Valley.
Host: That sounds awesome. So, one of the things I wanted to ask you is because you mentioned you are seeing people after they can effectively leave that pediatric care; you actually have to know quite a bit, I imagine, because you are seeing everyone from children to someone that is quite elderly. So, tell me a little bit about the most common things that you treat and what you have to know as a family physician.
Dr. Fareed: Well, it’s a challenging field of medicine actually to carry out to the best of one’s ability and that, as you say, it’s very diverse and you have to be able to understand the full scope of medicine in reality. However, when I came here, 28 years ago, I was a solo practitioner and was somewhat isolated, but I always respected and appreciated the input of my colleagues from different specialties of medicine. But since I’ve been affiliated with Pioneers in this health clinic, that has 15 or more physicians some of whom are specialists; I have the very good dialogue that goes along with their being present here such that they can provide me with information and expertise that I may not be strong in and it is important to obtain continuing medical education to be acquainted with all the advances that exist in all the areas of adult medicine from psychiatry to endocrinology to cardiovascular to pulmonology to gastroenterology and others and dermatology.
And one of the wonderful aspects of being a family physician is that you’re constantly being stimulated in terms of your intellectual challenge to provide the state-of-the-art for individuals who walk in the door to be followed up on or to be seen as a new patient in the practice. And so, it’s not like being a focused specialist where you’re seeing the same type of condition over and over again, you don’t know what to expect quite frankly, what they are going to come in with, what the individual or the couple or the family are going to be complaining about or concerned about and need help with. So, that you are having to be on your toes with each individual that you see and I see maybe perhaps 30 patients a day or between 22 and 30 patients a day and so, at the end of the day, it’s gratifying but you are somewhat fatigued because of the effort that you are putting in, that I’m putting in intellectually and emotionally with these issues that are presented to me.
Host: Yeah but it is something that I can just tell in your voice that you really love what you do and what a great opportunity it is for someone seeing you to also have access to that support network of people that you’re speaking with and you’re learning from and you can refer them to if something more serious comes up, wouldn’t you say?
Dr. Fareed: Yeah, that’s absolutely the case. And that’s the culmination for me is where I am now in my career, in that I started off in academia many, many years ago and envisioned a career in research and new product discoveries for medicine and then went into the full scope of medical care by coming here to the Imperial Valley and that’s been very gratifying to be able to reach this point where I am able to have my colleagues within short steps away here in our expansive clinic or within the Imperial Valley when I need to reach people by phone for referrals or for input on management and I’m also right across the street from Pioneers Hospital such that I can send a person into the hospital easily when it’s warranted and know that they are going to be receiving the right care.
I also can walk across the street and see the patient that’s admitted to the hospital and discuss the case with the hospitalists and specialists that are involved in their care if it’s appropriate.
Host: Sounds like a fantastic and comprehensive community of caregivers.
Dr. Fareed: It’s become that way, yes. Absolutely.
Host: So, I want to shift a little bit to best practices. Aside from those unexpected illnesses that come up; I’m curious as to how often family members should get a checkup.
Dr. Fareed: Well, it varies quite a bit. And it’s something we’d like to improve upon in terms of the regularity of checkups such that it’s generally semiannually or depending on the age of the individual or annually if they have no serious medical issues that are being managed. However, there are situations where patients won’t come in for one or two or three years depending on how their activities allow them and whether they are actually not being serious about, responsible about their own personal health. But generally, for the majority of my patients, will be seen every three to four months and have follow-up laboratory testing either at that interval or every six months.
Host: Yeah, I just think that it’s probably a good thing to have that active pulse on your health. I have actually been trying to go more often especially as I have a child on the way, I want to make sure that I’m just as healthy as possible as I raise them.
Dr. Fareed: Yeah, that’s the right attitude to have and we’ve tried to instill that in our community and we’re working more for that as much as we can. Pioneers does a good deal of community outreach and this is moving us in the right direction for the future.
Host: So, as we wrap up here, I always like to ask the question, what do you wish that more of your patients knew before they came in to see you?
Dr. Fareed: That’s a great question. I wish that they would be able to know that we can provide the state-of-the-art treatments and also diagnoses for them to live long and more comfortable productive lives. And that they – I wish that they would be and I think they are actually, feeling welcome when they come in to our office and are being able to communicate freely and without any restrictions concerning what their needs are.
Host: All right Dr. Fareed, we really appreciate your time today. That’s Dr. George Fareed, a Family Medicine Specialist at Pioneers Memorial Hospital and Medical Director of the Pioneers Health Clinic of Brawley. Thanks for checking out this episode of Pioneers Memorial Health Talk. Head to www.pmhd.org to get connected with Dr. Fareed or another provider. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels. We would love that. And be sure to check the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thanks you so much and we will see you next time.