Linnea Harrold, PA

I view the provider’s role as a companion and guide on the patient's journey. Through attentive listening by the provider and willingness to share by the patient, together they can develop a strategy to achieve the patient’s health goals. It is the provider’s job to give enough information so the patient can make their own decisions about what is right for them. It is the patient’s role to give honest feedback and hopefully be open to trying new things. Through this process, the patient is empowered to make changes in their life, try new treatments, or connect with specialists to improve their health.

It is critically important for patients to be more engaged in their care –medicine is becoming increasingly complex, and we as a healthcare team need patients to be their own advocates. Only the patient knows what challenges and successes they experience and what it is like to live in their own skin. We need the patient’s help to prevent disease and to accurately diagnose and treat conditions that already exist.