By Vickie Jenkins, Staff Writer
Dustin Baker, MD, is a board certified family medicine specialist with an additional board certification in hospice and palliative care and is located at Total Healthcare Partners, 4400 Grant Boulevard, Yukon, OK.
After earning his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, he completed a Great Plains Family Medicine residency. While in residency, he served as chief resident. He also served as President of Frontier District for Oklahoma Academy of Family Physicians. (story continues below)
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Dr. Baker believes that building relationships with patients is one of the most important things a provider can do. Developing a solid level of trust allows you to better educate patients, and more easily recognize when new health concerns arise.
Kathy Collins, LPN has been a nurse for Total Healthcare Partners for nineteen years. She has been a nurse for a total of forty-three years. Now, she enjoys working for Dr. Dustin Baker. Kathy attended school in Memphis, Missouri where she grew up. “I am a nurse because I like helping people and making them feel better. We see patients of all ages and I have seen many of them grow up and I am taking care of their children,” Kathy said. “I also enjoy the fact that I can balance my job and my family life,” she added. “Being a nurse is one of the most rewarding jobs. Being a nurse for so long is something that I still love to do.”
“My first job was at a hospital in Missouri. I worked in Pediatrics. It is nice to have such a wide variety of areas of nursing that one can go into. I enjoy working in a doctor’s office, a clinical setting now though. It gives me a chance to relate to the many patients that come to see Dr. Baker. I have a very good relationship with all of my patients. Some of the patients have continued to see Dr. Baker for years. We have a special relationship and a closeness with our patients.”
Asking Kathy what qualities make a good nurse, she replied, “I think a nurse should possess patience, compassion and selflessness. These qualities are very important for a nurse, yet, sometimes hard to handle at first. A nurse should show kindness to others, treating everyone as if they were their own family member.” It is easy to see the Kathy has all of these qualities as it shows in her daily life.
Kathy’s biggest reward as a nurse is the relationship and bonding she has developed with her patients over the years. “When the patient calls and I recognize their voice right away and the patient and I really know each other, it is really special to have such a close bond between the patient and their families. I also think it is special that I give the immunizations to the students that are just entering college. I have seen most of them grow up and we enjoy reminiscing about the past. Then, some of the patients just want a quick injection due to the lack of trust in the medical system.”
Do you have any relatives in the medical field? “Yes, I have four children, two in the medical field. My son is a physician and my daughter is a medical social worker. I think it kind of runs in the family a little bit,” she said with a smile.
Asking Kathy is she considers herself a leader or a follower, she replied, “I am a little of both. I am a non-confrontation. I avoid conflict at all lengths unless there is a situation that needs to be handled in a different way. I feel like I am a strong leader at times, considering all of my experience, yet, I can be a follower when I need to be. Everything depends on the situation.”
Kathy’s personality is uplifting and encouraging. She enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren. She gets along well with others and feels like teamwork is very important. She continues to do what comes natural to her, caring for others as a nurse. She has a few unique hobbies including playing bridge, golfing and playing the ukulele.
Summing up your life in three words, what would those words be? Kathy replied with a smile, “Blessed, content, satisfied.”
For more information visit: https://thpok.com/
