There's a fresh, friendly new face treating patients at Family Medicine Healthcare.  Jesse Albers joined the practice in July as its newest Physician Assistant, dedicated to their goal of providing high-quality, comprehensive care to their patients.

Growing up in a small country town in South Dakota, Jesse always wanted to be in a medical field.  When she was 14, her grandfather, who was very ill, passed away. The loss reinforced Jesse's desire to pursue medicine and work in a position that involved a great deal of direct patient interaction. With that goal in mind, she earned her three-year Associate's Degree in Nuclear Medical Technology at the University of South Dakota.

"I was a Nuclear Medical Technologist for 12 years, doing scans for cancer and heart blockages among other conditions," Jesse recalls. "It's a fascinating, comprehensive, detailed imaging field."

The position also allowed Jesse to spend a lot of time with her patients. "Nuclear Technologists get to be more involved with patients," Jesse says with a smile. "Exams were a minimum of 30 minutes, so I really got to know my patients. That's actually why I picked nuclear medical technology- because it allowed me to spend more time with the patient. That's what I like."

But while Jesse enjoyed her technologist job, she wanted the opportunity to help people even more.  So, she went back to school to become a Physician Assistant.  After completing her bachelor's degree at the University of South Dakota, her medical career took her to Norfolk, where she was accepted into Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2015.  

Graduating in 2019, Jesse brought her small-town values, work ethic, and love of spending time with patients to Family Medicine Healthcare.

"I'm very excited to become a PA, and especially to find a place that fits with my values and what I want to be as a PA," Jesse says, smiling enthusiastically. "I didn't want to be at a practice where I couldn't spend time with my patients.  This practice is small enough that I can do that, and everyone feels like family here."

Graisse Abdelshaheed, Family Medicine's office manager, is delighted to have Jesse on board.

"We like Jesse a lot," she says with a smile at the newest member of the team. "Her background indicated a high level of experience in the areas we needed.  Being from a small town and having a great work ethic, she is the kind of person who will get to know her patients and be good to them. She pays great attention to details; she's not going to miss things. When it comes to her patients, she won't have the attitude, "I'm not going to worry about it.'  No, she'll worry about it. Her dedication to quality care and her patients aligns with our office culture and the way we run our practice."

The change to becoming a Physician Assistant in a private practice environment is just what the doctor ordered for Jesse. Authentic concern for others, equip Jesse to offer the kind of care she believes every patient deserves.

"I sincerely believe in giving patients lots of personal attention," she says. "I enjoy spending time with them and getting to know them as individuals, not just getting to know them for their medical condition. As we say here, "Being cared for begins with being known.' Providing excellent healthcare is about caring for the whole person."

The entire staff at Family Medicine Healthcare works to earn the trust of every patient by listening attentively to their needs and concerns.

Jesse finds that this approach to patient care resonates with her core values. "That's part of the small town in me- you get to know your patients," Jesse says with a kind smile.

The result of this approach is that the dedicated physicians at Family Medicine often treat multiple generations in a given family. Impressed by the care they receive, many patients not only bring their children to practice but also their parents.

That high level of personal care includes responding to patient input. In fact, the practice implemented its new aesthetic services after a number of patients expressed an interest in them. From aesthetics to ultrasounds, to osteopathic manipulations from the practice's Doctor of Osteopathy, the practice is dedicated to becoming a sort of one-stop-shop where patients can receive a wide variety of treatments and services from a medical staff that they already know and trust. This approach also saves patients from the higher co-pays associated with seeking treatment from specialists.

Patient input was also considered when Family Medicine Healthacre began planning its brand-new office facilities.  Set to open in Western Branch by June of 2020 at the site of the former McDonald Garden Center on Dock Landing Road, the spacious new offices will have all of the practice's state of the art equipment, as well as more parking space. Many of the other amenities in the new office will be based upon requests from patients. The ground has already been broken for the new building. With 10,000 square feet, the new office will have more than double the space available in the practice's current location.

Valuing their patients and devoting the time and attention needed for high-quality care is the norm at the Family Medicine Healthcare. With a new Physician Assistant having joined their team, and an expansive new office in the process of being built, this private family practice will continue to successfully serve the Portsmouth and Western Branch communities with personalized, comprehensive care for years to come.