V IP P S P OT LIG H T
Meet The MD Behind The Curtain Of KevinMD.com
“AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. KEVIN PHO P H Y S I C I A N , A D V O C AT E AND MENTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE” Wr i tte n b y Pa u l a H. C o o k so n L CSW, freel a nce w ri t er
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r. Kevin Pho didn’t start his medical career with a plan to be an advocate and mentor to other physicians. After completing his education in Boston, he took a position in New Hampshire as an internal medicine practitioner and has been there ever since. Dr. Pho is passionate about patient care. He shares that he was compelled to enter medicine for a variety of reasons, but one of the significant reasons was “to give patients a voice; to help the most vulnerable people with a system that is often so difficult to navigate.” Dr. Pho finds meaning and purpose in helping patients learn about their health options so that they can make the best decisions for their own wellness. 4 | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 020
Now, eighteen years later, he remains at his practice 3.5 days per week and has another passion to which he dedicates 20-25 hours of his time on a weekly basis, KevinMD.com. Dr. Pho is kind of a big deal. He is a doctor, an advocate for patients and fellow medical providers, and an influential public figure who understands the impact of policy and procedure on all aspects of the medical profession and health outcomes; he is, in short, a healthcare celebrity. This explains the nervous energy Dr. Wust-Smith and I both held as we prepared for the interview with this insightful physician. So, how does a physician transform into a public speaker, advocate, coach and mentor? Dr. Pho explains that his
journey on this alternative path began in 2004. He had written an article about the recall of the drug Vioxx in an effort to help educate patients about the risks of the medicine and why it was being taken off pharmacy shelves. Dr. Pho immediately heard follow up from his patients about the article, and it offered him a lightbulb-moment about patient care in this evolving, increasingly computer-driven world. Dr. Pho decided to start his own blog called KevinMD.com in order to help bridge the gap between patient care and physician knowledge and information. At that time, few doctors had online blogs, and he began to see the value of having this venue as an additional way to connect with patients.