Letter: Primary Dr. advice

I am a retired family physician of 35 years, including four years of medical school and three years of a family practice residency. I worked with both a nurse practitioner and physician assistant during my last five years and found them to be excellent primary care providers. They understood their limitations and we’re not afraid to ask my advice when dealing with complicated patients. My recommendation for the patients with multiple medical issues, taking multiple medication’s and seeing multiple specialist is that they established with a provider who is an MD, or one of these other providers who have an MD working at their site, who is willing to assist if the need arises with their complicated patients. With our growing elderly population, there will be a greater need for all primary care providers.

Michael J. Depaso, MD retired

Vail

Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.