PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE to Members By Dr. David Rinehart 2019–2020 NCAFP President
~ THE 2020 PANDEMIC ~
Family Medicine in the Time of COVID-19 As I write this in early April, the news is full of talk of ventilator shortages, overcrowded hospitals and temporary hospitals being set up on soccer fields and in convention centers. On television, every few minutes a new infectious disease specialist or epidemiologist or ED physician is interviewed about their dire circumstances. We watch endless videos of health care workers in full protective attire moving sick patients around in hospitals. We listen carefully to Dr Birx and Dr Fauci. Everyone is trying to find a mask to wear. The whole country knows the acronym “PPE” and understands some basics about ventilators. The deaths are mounting rapidly. The spread seems to be inevitable.
Although a few family physicians are on the cutting edge of this pandemic and working with very sick hospital patients, most of us are not so involved with the intensive hospital care. So, what is the role of Family Medicine during this unprecedented upheaval in our nation? 4
Dr. Rinehart attended the University of Virginia and earned his BA in 1978 (Phi Beta Kappa) and his MD in 1982 (Alpha Omega Alpha). He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Charlotte Memorial Hospital in 1985 and was recognized as a national Mead Johnson Outstanding Resident. Dr. Rinehart has enjoyed 34 years of community-based Family Medicine practice with South Point Family Practice in Belmont, NC, 22 years as an independent group practice and 12 years as part of CaroMont Health. He has been a preceptor for dozens of medical students and nurse practitioner students over the years. Dr. Rinehart has held several leadership and committee positions within CaroMont Health including past Chair of the Physician Leadership Council and immediate past Co-Administrative Physician Lead of the Primary Care Service Line. He is a past Board Chair of Presbyterian Samaritan Counseling Center in Charlotte and has participated in medical mission trips in Honduras and Ethiopia. He has served for the past 18 years as team physician for the local high school football team and has held several leadership positions in his church including Chair of the daycare facility. Dr. Rinehart lives in Belmont with his wife of 40 years and has three grown children and two grandchildren.
Prevention As family physicians, we need to lead the way in evidence-based prevention measures for our patients. We do this by encouraging social distancing and CDC-approved isolation and quarantine measures. We do not ask patients to come to our offices if not absolutely required, although it will hurt our businesses. We follow PPE guidelines. We keep our offices clean and sanitized. We follow social distancing as best we can if patients must come to our offices. We will be there to deliver the vaccine when it becomes available someday. Patient Education We keep our patients informed about SARS-CoV-2, about how to socially distance, about how this is spread, what measures to take, how to quarantine
The North Carolina Family Physician
