Elizabeth Cummins

From Dr. Bushman - I had an epiphany today about the role primary care plays in a person’s world… in a patient’s world… in a hospital’s world… in the healthcare system’s world. Primary care, at its core, is a commodity. And for years, I was treated like one — a tool for the system. Hospitals saw me as their commodity — a generator of admissions, referrals, and revenue streams. But that has shifted for me. Now, my patients see me as their commodity. Not a transaction. Not a cog. Their doctor....

From Dr. Bushman - Last night reminded me that parenting and primary care medicine aren’t all that different. As parents, our job is simple to say and hard to execute: educate, guide, protect, and risk-manage so our kids have the best chance to thrive. As a primary care physician, it’s the same job. Different context. Same responsibility. Last night, my six-year-old found the one lighter in our house and decided he wanted to “kill the stickers” in the pasture. What followed was a fast-moving...

From Dr. Bushman - Some moments in medicine stay with you—not because of a diagnosis, but because of a story. Nearly five years ago, we surprised one of our patients, Esther, with a small birthday party. Nothing extravagant—just cake, ice cream, and a room full of people who cared. Afterward, she looked up and said something I’ll never forget: “Nobody has ever thrown a party for me before.” I assumed she meant as an adult. She didn’t. She told me she had never had a birthday celebration. Not...