Dr. Elstun’s statement

EHW Concept

In my regular practice I hear again and again from frustrated patients who want to learn more about losing weight and making healthy changes in their lives. Some of the most common questions posed to me are: “how do I lose weight?”, “how can I exercise when I work 12 hours a day?”and “how can I eat right when it is so expensive?” As a busy family doctor, there is too little time for answering those difficult questions within the confines of a short appointment. In most cases I only have 15 minutes to tackle these questions in addition to taking care of a patient’s medical issues like diabetes and high blood pressure. It didn't take long for me to see that there had to be a better way to serve these patients. I feel that my number one job is to educate patients on improving their health and as a medical doctor I need to do more than just prescribe medications. Studies show that a high percentage of medical problems today are rooted in sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diets.

During my training, I was exposed to a variety of techniques for helping patients. As would be expected, the patients with the worst diseases get the most intensive medical care. For instance, cancer patients are presented to a “tumor board” at the hospital. At this time, the patient’s case is typically discussed with a team of doctors and providers to evaluate their situation and determine the best approach for their treatment. The same style of group care is applied in some psychiatric hospitals. Patients are discussed weekly with a team of providers consisting of doctors, social workers, nurses, and others who each provide input. After seeing the effectiveness of this approach for the ill, I thought why not use this approach on patients struggling to achieve overall wellness? In November 2009, I decided to put this approach into practice by offering patients a unique opportunity to make a difference in their own lives. Eagle Health and Wellness is a wellness center devoted to leading people to happier and healthier lives. Here, I lead a team of providers who strive to help our patients succeed in their health goals. At EH&W we have assembled the perfect team to assist our patients in losing weight, managing pain, becoming more active, looking and feeling young again.