Finding the Right Healthcare Team
Kimala McClain, 42, had not been to see a physician in more than 12 years. A combination of fear, stress and apprehension kept her away.
“Everything about the doctor’s office terrified me,” McClain says. “Throughout my life, anything wrong with me was always down to my weight. Yes, I am a bigger girl, but they even tried to tell me that even my migraines would stop if I lost weight. When the new family practice opened just a block away,I thought I should at least try.”
With her husband’s encouragement, she made an appointment with Mindy Thompson, a certified nurse practitioner at Mary Rutan Family Care in Waynesfield.
“I expressed all my concerns to Mindy,” McClain says. “All of them. And she just said it was fine; we would go at my pace, and she would not push for anything I was uncomfortable with. Right then, I knew I had found my provider.”
McClain says that Thompson took the time to listen to her and made her feel like a human being, not just another chart or patient to be seen. Thompson took thorough notes, noting not just items about her health but also details like the names of her family members and upcoming events in her life.
“She makes me feel welcome and heard,” McClain says. “She is invested in me and my family. I am no longer nervous when it is time for a doctor’s appointment. I enjoy Mindy and Araka, her assistant, and the whole vibe of the office.”
“As with Kimala and all my patients, building a strong patient-provider foundation built on respect and trust is important,” Thompson says. “I prefer to tailor each patient’s care to their individualized needs and preferences to better equip them to meet their goals and succeed. I truly care and am invested in every patient.”
Giving patients the quality care they deserve
McClain is so comfortable with Thompson that when she tore her meniscus and needed a referral, she picked up the phone and called Thompson. Thompson recommended that McClain visit the highly acclaimed Mary Rutan Orthopedics & Sports Medicine practice.
“My visit to Mary Rutan Orthopedics & Sports Medicine immediately made me feel better,” McClain says. “I was nervous to meet Joe Fawcett. He is intimidating because he is so tall, but he is a gentle giant.”
“Kimala was referred to me by Mindy Thompson, CNP, who had already done an extensive workup and obtained an MRI of her knee,” says Joe Fawcett, a physician assistant at Mary Rutan Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. “When I first evaluated her, I could tell she was nervous, and I wanted to make sure she was comfortable with her treatment here. I always try to spend significant time with my patients to give them the quality care they deserve. During our discussion, we discussed several options, including many nonsurgical versus surgical treatments. Based on some of her other medical issues, we thought it might be best to treat this nonsurgically with a course of physical therapy and medication, which she unfortunately did not respond to. She ended up following up with me a few weeks later, and we decided that she would now be a candidate to undergo surgical intervention by Meaghan Tranovich, MD. I arranged for her to see Dr. Tranovich in the office as soon as possible so we could get her the proper treatment for her injury.”
“Joe listened to my concerns, understood my words and acted accordingly,” McClain says. “He set me up with Dr. Meaghan Tranovich, an orthopedic surgeon at Mary Rutan Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, and she was amazing.”
“Medicine requires a team approach, and we are fortunate to have a fantastic team here at Mary Rutan,” says Dr. Tranovich.
“Thanks to Mindy identifying Kimala’s need for specialty care and Joe confirming the diagnosis with testing, we were able to
provide Kimala with the best care possible. Our physical therapy team is among the best I have encountered, and they ensured Kimala was able to return to all of her normal activities.”
‘I love everyone I have come in contact with at Mary Rutan Health’
McClain says her entire experience at Mary Rutan Health was a 180-degree change from her prior experiences with medical providers. At every turn, she felt seen and respected as a person. Her providers heard what she was saying and reacted to her symptoms and conditions, not those in a textbook or off a chart.
“They treated me like another human being,” McClain says. “They did not use a lot of doctor-speak or use words I would have to look up on Google later. I have not had one bad experience at Mary Rutan Health. My whole experience has been amazing. I have been to Mary Rutan Family Care in Waynesfield, the Mary Rutan Crawfis Imaging Center, Mary Rutan Hospital, Mary Rutan Orthopedics, and Mary Rutan Therapy & Sports Medicine for my PT. I love everyone I have come in contact with at Mary Rutan Health.”
McClain is working hard to spread the word. Her daughter, mother-in-law and sister-in-law now see Thompson regularly. She recommends Mary Rutan Health to anyone who mentions they are looking for a doctor or who asks for a recommendation. McClain says the fact that we are close to home is just a bonus. However, she wouldn’t mind fighting traffic to see a Mary Rutan doctor.
“Being just one town away from the main hospital is convenient,” she says. “But the best part is seeing a doctor who listens and communicates—who doesn’t push your worries or cares to the side because they know better. It just feels different. It is so much better.”