Summer Series 2023: Montour Family Healthcare PC

Funding Source: Jaharis Primary Care Internship Fund

This summer, I have been working as an intern with Montour Family Healthcare PC, which is a local, independently-owned family practice in the Pittsburgh area. One of my favorite things about working in such a small practice setting like Montour Family Healthcare is that everything is very collaborative and community-oriented. The office does not have separate front and back office staff, so I have essentially been learning about both. While working primarily under the supervision of a CMA and the office staff, I have learned so much about the inner workings of a healthcare clinic. A big part of the running of a primary care physician’s office is the communication between patients and the care providers. Seeing as the doctors/PA-C are with patients in rooms for a significant portion of the day, the CMA & office staff play a massive role in helping meet patients’ needs, especially over the phone. When patients call or come in asking for help with a vast array of issues, the office staff generally guides them through whatever process they need to go through – considering how many different concerns a patient may have, there’s never really a dull moment. With such a small staff, there are often moments when it seems like every person in the office is working on countless tasks at once.

My internship has been pretty flexible so I’ve been lucky enough to do a bit of everything, but I’ve primarily been following alongside the CMA and office staff. Some of the most common responsibilities in that regard include working with patients regarding requests for prescription refills/updates, helping prepare for and follow up on medical procedures, appointment scheduling, dealing with insurance information and problems, new patient registration, collaborating with other offices and specialists, among many other things. Of course, everything is approved and checked, but learning how to fulfill so many pertinent tasks has provided me with priceless insight into the complexities of running a healthcare office, and the diverse skill sets needed to make sure that all of the bases are covered.

Another thing I really appreciate about this experience has been learning about the different kinds and roles of medical staff. For example, shadowing a CMA has taught me so much about the kinds of training and expertise the job requires. Similarly, seeing the doctors/PA-C in action has been amazing; I have had the privilege of seeing their process of preventing, diagnosing, and treating local patients from all sorts of backgrounds. Witnessing all of that firsthand really puts into perspective how wide a bank of knowledge their fields require, especially for primary care providers who deal with such a myriad of topics. The office staff are also very impressively knowledgeable about the medical aspects, while also maintaining all of the logistic and practical abilities to keep an office running smoothly.

The amount of work that goes into getting each and every patient in and out of a small clinic like ours is a bit staggering, yet impressive. Every single person in the office pours care and labor into making sure that all of our patients get the best care that we can possibly provide them with. Patient support is always central to the conversation regarding medical practice, especially regarding an office like Montour Family Healthcare which is ingrained in the local community. As someone who has lived in the area most of my life, I really enjoy and appreciate their dedication to building a community with their patients and staff and embracing their community ties that make them in many ways uniquely situated to provide the best quality care for their patients. That being said, that also means that there is perhaps even more room for sad and painful situations – even just during my time here already, I have witnessed quite a few of them. However, knowing that we are in a position to truly do our best to provide quality care for the local communities I love so much is very rewarding. I have already become familiar with certain people, families, and groups from my time working here. This experience has been such a strong reminder of the fact that community building is incredibly important and applies to nearly all aspects of life, even when you might not immediately think so.

Finding an environment that will actively make space for you to learn and grow is invaluable. Everyone in the clinic – from the doctors to the PA-C, to the CMA, to the office staff – has been so supportive and kind to me. Their commitment to helping me truly get firsthand experience in primary care is so appreciated and commendable. I am extremely grateful to both everyone at Montour Family Healthcare PC as well as the Jaharis Primary Care Fund and the CCPA for working with me to make this summer experience happen. I feel incredibly lucky; I have been having a hard time articulating just how much I have already learned from this summer, and how thankful I am to have such genuine and talented mentors in the medical field.