Meet Justin Washington
Healthcare: listening to our patients
For Justin Washington being a dentist is more than fixing a cavity or aligning braces. To Dr. Washington, quality care means delivering a holistic view of a patient. A rare quality he says patients inspired him to embrace.
“The mental health of the patient, the health of the family, and the financial sustainability of their day to day lives are important to me. Oftentimes, I see patients whose issues are not rooted in dentistry. They just want to connect and have a conversation.”
Justin describes a vision of a physician much like those portrayed in old television shows, showing the doctor as a multigenerational family friend.
“I'll never forget one lady who went through a divorce and she just needed somebody unrelated and unaffiliated to speak to. During our consultation I recognized there was something else going on beyond her toothache, and that was emotional pain.”
And, it is these moments, Dr. Washington says, that build rapport with patients, and they become family.
While Justin says these American medical traditions are lost in today’s culture, he believes his patients affirm his vision of care with symbolic tokens of appreciation.
“The time spent with a patient is more important than the money because money will always come as long as we're blessed to be alive. But more importantly, at least three days a week, patients will bring us breakfast, tacos, enchiladas, and cakes, and they remember my birthday,”
While most people may simply get a medical care bill, pay it and leave – Dr. Washington has patients that don't pay their bill yet go to the store and pick up breakfast instead – and he is ok with that.
