Art Wiser 1987 –

Art, a doctor and father of three, works at a Bruderhof medical clinic in Pennsylvania. While in training, he saw enough dysfunction in the US healthcare system to understand the epidemic of physician burnout. 

The way I practice here solves almost all of the problems I saw in the healthcare industry. In medical school we designed the ideal patient-centered medical home as an exercise, but it didn’t come close to this!

There are no barriers to care, our patients don’t have to worry about bills, and we have a terrific team of nurses, doctors, physician assistant, secretaries, optometrist, and physical therapist all communicating and working together. My wife Renate is a nurse and makes sure that patients have a pleasant experience when they come to the clinic – no child leaves without a sticker and lollipop. The dental clinic is right down the hall and it can be very helpful to consult with the dentists, for instance to help resolve someone’s longstanding respiratory issues.

I’m able to provide care like an old-fashioned family doctor (which is what I am even though I’ve only been in practice for three years). I might be called to a family’s home in the middle of the night to see a child for croup and the next day sit with someone to coordinate care for their grandmother. If a patient has major surgery I will accompany him to his pre-op appointment so I can make sure his concerns are heard and also be sure he has understood the surgeon’s advice, and I’ll follow up with home visits after surgery and make sure the family is adequately supported with nursing care and any extra equipment that might be needed. Yes, my days can be stressful at times but working as a team to provide the best possible care is incredibly rewarding.