About Diana M. Kent, MD
Dr. Kent with Gideon and Emmylou"My practice philosophy has evolved over the past twenty years. Though quite traditionally trained, I have come to believe strongly in the healing power of music, exercise and pets." |
In 2002, I switched from Emergency Medicine to Family Medicine and needed to find a new practice to join. The very first office I called was Groskopp and Ryland.
I chose Groskopp and Ryland because of an experience I had one night with Kristine Groskopp when she was taking hospital ER call. I was the emergency physician on duty.
ER docs often have the miserable task of calling their physician colleagues at ungodly hours and asking them to come into the hospital to provide care for patients. It can make the unlucky ER physician rather unpopular.
Late one nightshift, I called “G,” as we call Kristine Groskopp, and asked her to come in to see one of her patients. It must have been a rather complicated case because I trudged upstairs with her to the patient’s room, relaying information to her as we walked. She listened carefully to what I needed to tell her and clearly felt no ill will toward me for dragging her from her bed. She was obviously concerned about her patient. What struck me most was that she really knew the patient we were heading to see. She knew the patient’s clinical history and she knew them as a person. I never forgot her warmth and professionalism.
Now I work at Groskopp and Ryland. Our little building on Main Street is clean and functional, but we have to make careful use of every inch of the space that was once a flower shop. We don’t have in-house X-ray or lab. What we do have is heart. Anne Ryland and Kristine Groskopp make certain of that. I am proud to practice here.
Practice Philosophy
In regards to my practice philosophy, I would say I am a big believer in involving patients in their own medical decisions. As a patient, I never did well with being patted on the head and told what to do. When patients understand what’s going on, their medical care is often improved. The better informed patient is better protected. It is much healthier when the patient feels comfortable asking their physician "why?"
Medicine today is complicated -- and expensive. Patients need honest explanations of their options. I like to help people decide how to prioritize testing and screening studies. I prefer to provide patients with copies of their labs, X-rays, CT and MRI reports. After all, they paid for the studies. It is fun to demystify these documents for them. Patients find they can understand far more than they would expect once it is explained to them. I enjoy that. While caring for patients in the emergency room, there were many times I was frustrated that the patient had not been provided a basic explanation of what testing had been done and what it meant. Sometimes, the patient’s knowledge of their clinical history and prior testing was the only clinical information I could access promptly. Again, the better informed patient, is better protected.
My decade of emergency medicine experience gives me a unique ability to help patients navigate the local medical system. I know which specialists are helpful to the ER doc in the middle of the night. I tend to refer to those specialists. They help me take good care of my patients.
Finally, I try to be a good listener. My mother never thought it was my best trait, but I try.
Dr. Kent is now accepting new patients.
We invite you to meet her by calling
(541) 608-7683.
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A Rogue Valley Physicians, PC clinic