Dr. Orestes Gutierrez, Primary Care, Opens in South Eugene

June 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Dr. Orestes Gutierrez, D.O. will open a new Primary Care Office on July 3, 2012.  His practice, Gutierrez Holistic Family Medicine, LLC will be located in the Tamarack Building, 3575 Donald St, Eugene, OR.   He will serve patients of all ages with personalized, expert care.  Dr Gutierrez is a native Spanish speaker.

In his new office, Dr. Gutierrez will offer primary care as well as some specialty services, such as:  Osteopathic Manipulation, trigger point injections, cortisone injections, nutritional prescriptions, exercise prescriptions, weight loss guidance, minor surgery, preventative medicine, and reversal of disease. He has special interests in sports medicine, longevity, and nutrition.

Dr. Gutierrez trained in both the Navy and Mayo Clinic facilities, bringing the most advanced and up-to-date evidence based medicine to Eugene.  The physician-patient relationship has been shown to have great influence on health-care outcomes.  Therefore, Dr. Gutierrez has elected to practice according to the Ideal Medical Practice (IMP) model.  In this model, the patient spends 30 – 60 minutes with their doctor, and support staff are minimized.  The patient’s need, goals, and values drive the treatment plan.  Same day appointments are available, and established patients have direct access to their doctor via mobile phone.  Physicians see fewer patients each day, and are able to maintain relationships with each one.

In contrast, most patients in the United States sit in a waiting room, waiting for their Primary Care Doctor who is typically running late.  They are taken back to the exam area by an assistant who takes vital signs and pertinent information.  Then they are left to wait again in the exam room, until the doctor is available.  When the doctor finally arrives, he or she is often rushed and spends only 5 to 15 minutes with them. Most of that time is spent looking at a computer screen or note pad.  During many visits, the doctor does not touch the patient.  What should be the most human of professions has become robotic.

The Ideal Medical Practice movement offers an alternative for practitioners and patients.   Instead of doctors rushing through 25 – 30 patients each day, and not developing a personal connection with any one of them, the IMP model allows the doctor to see only 10 patients each day, spending a quality 30 – 60 minutes with each one.  This approach provides a higher level of service to the patient, and a lower level of stress for the physician.  Both patients and doctors are happier and more satisfied.

Dr. Gutierrez will be the third Primary Care Physician practicing in the Tamarack Building, joining Pamela Wible, MD and Leigh Saint-Louis, MD.  All of them practice in the IMP model.  There are currently eight IMPs in Eugene, one of the highest concentrations in the US.  Says Dr. Gutierrez, “I am excited to be part of the change in the delivery of healthcare.  I enjoy connecting with my patients, and I know that they appreciate a personal touch.”

Dr. Gutierrez moved to Eugene two years ago with his wife and three children.  He is a member of the Lane County Medical Society, the Physician Leadership Group of McKenzie-Willamette Hospital, the Oregon Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.  He is on staff at both McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and Sacred Heart – Riverbend Hospital.  He holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy Reserves.  He hosts pre-med and medical students from U of O and OHSU .  In addition to these appointments, he is active in the community of Unity of the Valley, and is a parent member of Boy Scouts of America.

If you haven’t encountered him through any of these activities, or caught one of his health talks or free clinics, you may see him running around town with an elite running group.  He participates in the OTC Masters and the Eugene Hackers Running Club.  In 2011, he ran a 4:37 mile and 800 meters in 2:01, qualifying as All American.  He is proud to tell you that he is “strictly fueled by plant-based nutrition.”

To learn more about Gutierrez Holistic Family Medicine, visit http://drorestesg.com or call 541-632-4060.