House Call: Just think of this as a second opinion
I was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1955, the youngest son of Orville and Betty. I attended public schools, and was the first in my family to go to college. During my college years, I volunteered with Young Life, a Christian organization where I gained valuable experience in leadership, counseling and building relationships.
After college, I worked as a research assistant at Oregon Health Sciences University. It was fascinating work, but I discovered that laboratory work didn’t involve enough human interaction for me. That’s when I turned to medicine. It combines my love of science with my love for people.
I knew that I wanted to be a family physician, to have a broad type of training and usefulness. After a three-year residency in family medicine in Orlando, Florida, I returned to Portland in 1987 to practice medicine.
I found myself in a group of physicians that made the most money by ordering tests and visits that weren’t really needed. The conflicts of interest were difficult for me, so I sought a different type of experience, and found it with Group Health in Spokane. The only goal is to provide care that is in the best interest of the patient.
I have been a Group Health family physician in Spokane for more than 20 years. Some of you reading this may have been a patient of mine in the past, or may be one now. I have the privilege of caring for families, sometimes over several generations. Many of my patients feel like family, which I suppose is another reason why we call it family medicine.
I work hard to provide the right care for my patients. I strive to be a physician who my patients know will listen to them − not judge − and who will work with them to develop a treatment plan in which they have confidence. That may mean combining Western medicine with alternative therapies that have been proven effective such as herbal remedies, chiropractic, and naturopathy.
Health and wellness encompasses more than just physical health. It also includes psychosocial and spiritual health. My music, my faith and my family are important interests that I nurture to maintain health and well being. I play the guitar and sing publicly and privately. I recently copyrighted five songs and published them online. I have been known to perform at open mic nights and at Sunday worship. These, and activities such as bicycling, running and hiking with my wife, are important factors in my mental and physical well being. I work with my patients to help them find activities that will enhance their personal well being. It goes hand in hand with healing their ills.
My wife and I have been married more than 30 years, and have raised two sons. One is now training to become a family physician and the other is a software developer. Now that my bride and I are empty-nesters, we split our time between work, community, travel, our sons and caring for elderly parents.
I do not intend this column to be a substitute for seeking the advice of your own physician, but I hope that as you get to know me through each column, you will be able to use the information I share about health, wellness and disease and its prevention to enrich your daily life.
Dr. Bob Riggs is a family medicine physician practicing at Group Health’s Riverfront Medical Center.