Treating the whole family is the job of Meritus Family Medicine OBs

Paula Nguyen, M.D., admits that she’s greedy sometimes.

That’s one of the reasons why she is a family medicine obstetrician, working with both Meritus Family Medicine and Meritus Women’s Health in the Robinwood Professional Center.

In her role, she treats pregnant mothers and delivers babies. “But I’m also taking care of Dad, and grandparents and siblings as well,” she said. “I’m greedy. I want to take care of a family through the continuum of care.”

Family medicine obstetricians have doctor’s degrees in family medicine, but have also received training in obstetrics, giving them certifications to perform certain pregnancy-related procedures.

For example, Dr. Nguyen earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, and completed her residency in family medicine at the University of California San Francisco. She also did an obstetrics fellowship at University of Illinois, Peoria.

Family medicine obstetricians tend to practice in rural areas, among other settings, because there’s a stronger need for doctors who can provide a wide range of care, especially obstetrics, Dr. Nguyen said.

“There are so many OB deserts out there,” she said, referring to the U.S. “Having an FMOB means people won’t have to travel as far to get the care they need.”

There’s a huge benefit to having an FMOB provide care to you and your family.

While biology is a major factor in a person’s overall health, so are nonmedical factors, often referred to as social determinants of health. These include socioeconomic status and geographic location.

But more importantly, seeing the whole family allows the doctor to build trust with the patients. And by seeing an FMOB, the newest addition to the family gets the same care from the start.

“We’re able to know the family on a more intimate and personal level,” Dr. Nguyen said.

To learn more about Meritus Family Medicine, visit www.meritushealth.com/FamilyMedicineRobinwood. To learn more about women’s health, visit www.meritushealth.com/WomensHealth.