( continued from page 29 ) practice , which she renamed Complete Pediatrics & Specialty Care .
Just as she was settling in to her new role as an owner and navigating the unknowns , the pandemic hit . But as was her mantra , she jumped in and made the best of it .
“ I always believe there ’ s a purpose to everything . 2020 and COVID-19 were major challenges , but it made us stronger , it made us think outside the box .”
With no time to spare and a need to think on her feet to support her family and her staff , their practice rolled out curbside visits . Gowned , gloved and masked , they saw patients outside . As a result , they were awarded the “ Quality Provider Champion ” trophy by Anthem in 2020 , and the practice ranked first in the state of Indiana for quality assurance .
“ We toughed it out for a while because we were often exposed to the elements of the unpredictable Ohio Valley weather , but then I put it out into the universe that we needed a building with drive-thru capabilities without the exposure . As soon as I did that , another miracle .”
A year later , in the spring of 2022 , they opened the doors at their new location . A former bank , it came equipped with three drive-thru lanes that are completely covered . With no waiting rooms , they see all sick patients outside , ensuring that everyone that comes through the building is healthy . With major changes to their practice , she credits much of her success to the adaptability and collaboration of her staff .
“ It is their creativity , thoughtfulness , loyalty , problem solving and their resilience that has made us a ‘ five-star , waiting list practice .’ I couldn ’ t have done it without them . Both my nurse practitioner , Terry Renfrow , and my manager , Shannon Jones , were essential , as were my medical assistants . They are all very important to where I am now , and what we ’ re doing together .”
Over the years , Dr . Rezaei has seen an increasing need for a way to serve patients better and began looking at functional medicine .
“ I was seeing a lot of problems with autism , emotional problems , ADHD , allergy and asthma , all increasing very noticeably from when I started practicing . Functional medicine really looks at the problem from the root cause and balances the body so that diseases are prevented before they happen . We ’ re focusing on the whole mind , body and spirit so that we don ’ t always have to rely on medication for everything .” She is currently working with the mayor and city officials to create programs to benefit the youth in her community . “ With pediatrics , if you make a change in the child ’ s health status , you ’ re not just fixing the disease process , you ’ re actually changing that person ’ s entire life .”
In looking at what else is ahead of her , she wants to make sure to maintain her current level of passion and drive and she believes that self-care is essential to doing so .
“ I have such a heavy load , so I make sure to respect and listen to my body . When I need rest , I rest , I don ’ t drink coffee to push myself to stay up . When I need company , I seek that out . I am in tune with my body and its needs , which is why I am able to stay active and have the energy to do it all . It ’ s amazing what you can do if you don ’ t purposefully stress yourself out .”
Instrumental to keeping her going is the endless support from her two sons . “ They are beautiful , good kids . I always tell them that the reason I can do so much is because I don ’ t have to spend time disciplining them or fixing their misbehavior ,” she laughed . “ They are the jewels of my life .” Her oldest is Emon , 24 , who recently graduated from Transylvania University and is working in marketing , hoping to own his own company in the near future . Her youngest , Amin , 20 , is almost finished with business school at the University of Kentucky , with one year left to go .
She enjoys travelling and gardening and loves any chance she gets to dance . Recently , she was able to combine dance with her passion for helping women and children by participating in a charity dance for the BreakAway , an organization in New Albany that helps women recovering from addiction . Her samba helped to bring in over $ 80,000 for the organization .
Since childhood , Dr . Rezaei has certainly faced many hurdles to get where she is today , but she continues to clear each one with an unwavering sense of positivity and faith that she will come out the other side stronger .
“ Throughout my journey , I have become more faithful and spiritual . I continue to manifest that in my life , and now I ’ m focused on my service to my patients and my employees . I don ’ t believe in coincidences ; my whole journey is nothing short of miraculous .”
Kathryn Vance is the Communication Specialist at the Greater Louisville Medical Society .
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