Member of the Month: John Redman, M.D., M.S.

New physician drawn to breadth of specialty, serving the underserved

posted 02.15.12

John Redman, M.D., M.S., is a family physician at Bayside Clinic, a federally qualified health center in Anahuac, Texas, 50 miles east of Houston. He also covers the emergency room part time. Working with two physician assistants, Bayside Clinic serves the poor and indigent of Chambers County. He says he felt drawn to work at an FQHC because of his residency training at the Waco Family Medicine Program, another FQHC, and because he enjoys helping patients who would not otherwise have access to health care. “The FQHC model allows me to do that,” he says.

Redman grew up in Dayton, Texas, and married his high school sweetheart. They have two children: Joshua, who is two years old, and Jeremiah, who is one month old. He was awarded his medical degree by the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and received his Master of Science in Education and his Bachelor of Science in Education from Baylor University in Waco. Because he has been out of residency for less than seven years, he is considered a “new physician” by TAFP and AAFP.

Why did you choose family medicine, and what’s your favorite aspect of it? I have wanted to be a family medicine doctor since I was a child. It was an easy choice to make because my father is a family medicine doctor. I spent many hours with him in his clinic and at the hospital and started making hospital rounds with him when I was four years old. I delivered my first baby when I was a freshman in college (with assistance from him).

My favorite aspect of family medicine is the broadness of scope. I can see a two-day-old newborn infant in one room and then see a 96-year-old female in the next room. I also enjoy seeing multiple generations of the same family. It is not uncommon for me to see a baby and his mom or a husband and wife at the same clinic visit. My work is never redundant or boring. You never know what you may see next.

What has been your most memorable patient interaction? It was one Sunday morning when I was working in the ER and an elderly man came in with chest pain. His EKG showed ST elevation. I called Memorial Hermann Life Flight and started him on anticoagulants. I went outside to watch the helicopter lift off. The patient’s wife was on her knees praying in the parking lot as the helicopter was leaving. She came and thanked me and gave me a hug. He went straight to the cardiac catheter lab and did very well. It was a reminder of why we do what we do: we have an impact on patient’s lives and their families.

If you could change one thing in your field or in health care as a whole, what would it be? I would put a greater emphasis on primary care doctors. I think that insurance companies and the government are heading that way, but we still have a long way to go. The patient-centered medical home model is a very positive development.

If you weren’t a doctor what would you want your job to be? I would want to be a high school football coach. I love working with high school student athletes.

It is important for me to be a member of AAFP and TAFP because: the AAFP and TAFP are advocates for our patients and our profession. The meetings and conferences also allow me to interact with other members of my profession.

What one public health issue/challenge should the population be most aware of? One important public health issue is the lack of primary care doctors in rural areas. Family medicine doctors are uniquely trained to provide a broad scope of practice to meet the needs of patients in rural areas.

In your opinion, which is more important for a family physician to have, intelligence or common sense? Why? I think that a family physician needs to have a combination of both. This is the art and science of medicine. Common sense tells me to give a patient with no insurance a generic blood pressure medicine that they can afford instead of a name brand medication they cannot. Intelligence guides me on the specific blood pressure medication they need for their condition.

Do you volunteer your time outside of your job? Can you describe your volunteer work? I volunteer at my local church as an usher. I also volunteer my time as the Anahuac High School football team doctor. I attend all the varsity football games and assist on the sidelines with the trainer. Bayside Clinic also performs the annual athletic physicals for Anahuac High School and donates the proceeds to the athletic booster club.

TAFP’s Member of the Month program highlights Texas family physicians in TAFP News Now and on the TAFP website. We feature a biography and a Q&A with a different TAFP member each month and his or her unique approach to family medicine. If you know an outstanding family physician colleague who you think should be featured as a Member of the Month, nominate the physician by sending his or her name, phone number, and e-mail address to kalfano@tafp.org. View past Members of the Month here.