This was originally posted in our newsletter, from CFP founder and WHNP, Connie Ryan. You can read the full newsletter here!
Central Family Practice was opened by myself, Carol Cody, and John Day in 1998. My vision, which was years in the making (in my long nights awake as a midwife), was to have a family practice where people could come and bring their children to get care that was high quality, open minded, and personal. The other part of the vision, which I think is one of the most important ingredients, is having a family practice where the people working there love to come to work every day. I like my work and really wanted to be somewhere that everyone else felt the same. The biggest part of healing for all of us happens in the relationships we have with each other.
One of the qualities that many people remark on at Central Family is that it does not feel like a medical office or clinic. There is great thought and effort that went into that at the inception, as well as in an ongoing evaluation of care. The experience you have at CFP is not just the relationship you have with any individual person, but the whole visit from start to finish. Our staff sees their relationship with you as the most important part of their job in addition to drawing your blood or making your next appointment.
When Dr. Day left to travel the world with his family in 2004, I wondered how we would replace him, and his patients wondered the same thing. We went through a few changes before my long time friend and favorite physician, Dr. Trester decided to come to work with us. He and I, through the years, have cared for families that we have taken care of from the births of their children to now, the births of some of those “children’s” children. I helped his second daughter, Emma, come into the world at home. He has taken care of my children and now my grandchildren. The circle of life is very rich.
Kate Wanstrom, FNP, a long time friend, came to us from the wild west of Marfa. She started and ran the Marfa Clinic for people who previously had to drive to Alpine to get care. For those of you who have been out there, it is truly the wild west and it is a trek to get anywhere!
We are once again going through a change. Dr. Connor has left to pursue her own plan. Dr. Trester, Kate Wanstrom FNP, Peggy Ghorbani L.Ac. and I are here to see you and your family. Julie Lack, our esthetician and Ideal Protein weight loss coach, is also here to keep you healthy and glowing. We are very excited to have new people join us and know that you all will like them as much as we do.
We are at our most vulnerable when we are discussing our fears, joys, and difficulties with our bodies and lives. At Central Family it has always been our goal to make sure that you can have that conversation in a safe, open, non judgemental environment with a practitioner who will spend the time it takes to help you plan the best course of action for you and your family to stay healthy and strong. We will continue to do this.
If you have any questions about the changes at Central Family please feel free to call and talk to me. I know many of you have never met me, but all of the qualities that you love about Central Family or ones that you do not, are important to me and are in the end, my responsibility to address.
Beginnings and endings are always ripe with possibility and are sometimes bittersweet. Such is life and what makes it interesting and so lovely. If you have been getting medications from Dr Connor, your medical records (chart) and medication renewals remain a part of Central Family. If you need a refill of medication, you can use the same process you have always used and have the pharmacy send a refill request to us. If it is time for a follow up visit, you are welcome to call and make an appointment with another practitioner here. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to call and discuss this with the staff or a practitioner.
Connie