For General Surgery, cooperation between medical facilities is of the utmost importance, not only with other specialties and physicians at Harbin Clinic, but also with other hospitals in town. “We have a very collegial relationship with all of the physicians in town, and all of the hospitals in town. It is incumbent upon all of us to make sure that all of these facilities are not only healthy but are also offering high quality care,” says Dr. Brock. “We have patients who are coming from a hundred miles away to get high level care, so it is important that all of us work well together.”
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Harbin Clinic has adapted to safely care for patients.
“At the beginning, elective surgeries were shut down and we were only working on emergent things like appendicitis, perforations, etc,” says Dr. Brock. “Our schedule is slowly getting back to normal but what we’re seeing now are patients who were afraid to come into the office, and they’ve stayed at home when they shouldn’t have. These patients should have had a diagnosis made two months ago, who are now coming in and getting treated later.” To those patients, Dr. Brock would like to communicate that Harbin Clinic offers a myriad of options to ensure safety. “We have telemedicine where you can video chat with a doctor without ever leaving your home,” he says.
“In addition, all of our offices are doing everything to follow COVID-19 safety precautions and ensure the health of our patients. We’re asking everybody to wear masks, providers and patients alike, and to this day, this office hasn’t seen a single COVID-19 case.” When it comes to Dr. Brock’s approach to patient care, transparency is key. “I think you have to be blatantly honest with a patient with good news and with bad news,” he says. “If a patient gets a hint at any point that you’re not telling them everything or that you’re delaying information, you’ve lost their trust and I find that very problematic. With my patients, they know that what you see is what you get. In addition to that, I look at every patient who comes through the door as if they were one of my loved ones, and that’s how I approach their care.”
For more information about Harbin Clinic’s General Surgery options, visit harbinclinic.com/general-surgery.