A Special Role Model
Janelle Mahdi, Mercer University
The specialty of family practice has many positive role models who care for the medically underserved. My mentor and role model is one of those family physicians. In my view, Beulette Hooks, M.D., is the epitome of the physician who is an advocate for her patients and works smart to meet the healthcare needs of people in Buena Vista, GA, a rural community in southeast Georgia.
This summer I had the pleasure of working in her office for four weeks where I experienced first hand not only the joys of providing healthcare services to a largely indigent population, but I also witnessed how Dr. Hooks uses her training as a family physician to overcome the challenges of providing healthcare to her community.
Dr. Hooks encounters a variety of barriers in providing care to her community but is able to identify solutions that work. For example, lack of transportation is a significant barrier to care in Buena Vista. Accessing resources through the March of Dimes, Dr. Hooks secured a grant to purchase a van that allows her to transport patients to and from the office and to a hospital in Columbus, Ga. Another significant barrier for many of her patients is a lack of health insurance and money to pay for medicine. Dr. Hooks and her nurse have worked to secure medicine for these patients by enrolling them in pharmaceutical indigent programs. It is not unusual for Dr. Hooks and her staff to deliver medicine to patients who are unable to leave their homes. About two-thirds of her patients are not proficient using English. Knowing the importance of communication and recognizing a unique need, Dr. Hooks employs a resource worker who translates in addition to fulfilling the role of a social worker. Dr. Hooks also maintains health education materials written in Spanish that are suitable for the education level of her patients.
Dr. Hooks not only gives to her community, she gives
back to medical education. In addition to her duties
in clinical care, Dr. Hooks is volunteer faculty
for the Department of Family and Community Medicine
at Mercer University School of Medicine. She is very
active in the AAFP and frequently speaks to Georgia
students about resolution writing and leadership.
She has definitely been the impetus for my involvement.
One day I hope to have a practice that reflects the
same compassion and commitment to the underserved
that I see modeled daily by Dr. Hooks.