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Connecting with patients fundamental to the jobTo the New Ulm Medical Center’s newest family practice physician, Daniel Holmberg, M.D., the most rewarding part of medicine isn’t diagnosing mysterious conditions or determining treatments for unusual afflictions, but comes in the form of a much more basic service. “The relationships you’re able to develop with patients are that part of medicine that makes it the most enjoyable and rewarding,” Holmberg said. “Leaving the patients that I had come to know was one of the hardest parts of finishing my training in Virginia.” A native of Runnells, Iowa, Holmberg received both his undergraduate – biology and psychology - and medical degrees from the University of Iowa. From there, he moved to Newport News, Virginia, where he completed his residency in family medicine at Riverside/Virginia Commonwealth University family medicine residency program. It was during the time he spent in Virginia that he began to fully understand the importance of forming connections with his patients. “I had one patient who other providers had given up on because she didn’t take care of herself – she was very sick, and she too had given up on her problems. Over time I got to know her, I got to know her children and through that relationship with them was able to learn more about why she had the perspective on her illness that she had. Once I learned how she viewed the world, I was better able to offer her the help she would accept. “It taught me that with some people, in spite of how frustrating the situation can be, you have to find out what drives them and then you can determine the best way to approach things. It was challenging from an interpersonal standpoint, but I also found it more rewarding because ultimately when we did make that connection we were able to go farther with improving her quality of life.” Holmberg made many close friends during his time in Virginia, but when his residency ended he and his wife decided they were ready to move closer to home. “My wife Joalle and I were looking to get back to the Midwest to be closer to family (Joalle’s parents live in Tea, South Dakota) and we knew we wanted to come to a smaller community,” Holmberg said. “We like the small town atmosphere and the friendliness and I wanted to be able to care for my patients both in the clinic setting and in the hospital.” Although Holmberg has only been seeing patients since the first week of August, he has every confidence that the pace of New Ulm and the medical center will allow him to connect with patients in a lasting way. “I enjoy family medicine because I can care for patients from infancy through the end of their lives,” he said. In terms of his practice, Holmberg says that he enjoys seeing a variety of patients. He has a special interest in sports medicine and hopes to be able to incorporate that into his practice. And he’s hopeful that the perspective and experience he brings will enhance the range of expertise held by medical center physicians. “This is a diverse group of physicians -- they have a lot of different interests and work very well together,” Holmberg said. Just as importantly, he is excited about the medical advances embraced by medical center staff members. He comes to the medical center as the construction project is finishing and as the transition to an electronic medical record is beginning. “This is a proactive facility,” he said. “We are moving forward with technology, instituting an electronic medical record, which will improve patient care. These changes all facilitate a better experience for the patient.” |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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