INNOVATION AND CHANGE
( continued from page 9 )
DR . B : Vaccines . They have come up with good vaccines for protection from diseases and for prevention , like the COVID vaccine . A lot of people resist , but I think it helps . And there are different kinds – the RSV vaccine , the shingles vaccine , pneumonia and now , they are pushing for the influenza shot , which I think is a good undertaking .
DR . FE : I agree with that . Nowadays , patients are in tune to having all the immunizations done . When this first started , they were hesitant to take it . They had lots of questions , and the decision comes whether we have to tell them to go ahead and take it . Now , they are more in tune to that . In fact , they know when they are supposed to get their immunizations . I think social media has played a big role in that , so when they come to see you , they are asking if it ’ s time for them to have their vaccinations . That is very good .
DR . VAL : What do you see as the most important recent breakthrough in medicine ?
DR . B : Important breakthrough ? Vaccinations are the most important thing .
DR . FE : Yes , there ’ s nothing much aside from vaccinations in our fields .
DR . VAL : What changes do you hope to see in medicine in the next 10 years ? ( Dr . Val and Dr . Fe laugh - the reason I am laughing is because my parents are up in age .)
DR . B : What I ’ d like to see is the government putting regulations on the pharmaceutical industry , so the price of medications has to be lowered .
DR . FE : That ’ s right .
DR . B : The most important medications , like for diabetes , blood pressure , COPD and cancer prevention drugs , [ the government ] has to put regulations and pressure on the pharmaceutical companies to make ways to lower their prices . Another thing is the insurance companies keep changing the rules about medications . My patient is doing well on a certain kind of blood pressure medication and then [ the insurance company ] comes in and says you have to use these other drugs before you can use this medication . Patients respond to a certain drug , but then [ the insurance company ] says it ’ s not on formulary . And the patient is also complaining about the prices . The price is terrible .
DR . FE : They cannot afford [ the medications ].
DR . B : The government has to step in and do something about it . I don ’ t think they ’ re doing that [ now ].
DR . FE : I totally agree with what your Dad has said because that ’ s the same thing that we ’ re going through [ in the clinic ] each day . Of course , the insurance company has their own formulary , and you have to look into that when you prescribe certain medications . But most of these patients that have been taking these medications for some time are doing well , and then all of a sudden , we cannot continue that . That ’ s a big problem . And the cost of medications , especially the new ones – I understand that they may be very good , but we cannot prescribe them because [ our patients ] can ’ t afford them . It ’ s just a battle . I think something needs to be done about that . I ’ m hoping something will be done in the next few years , even before I retire .
DR . VAL [ laughs ]: I don ’ t think you ’ re ever going to retire Mom … and neither of you are retired . [ You both ] have continued to practice for 40 plus years .
DR . B : We ’ re part-timers now .
DR . VAL : But [ you ] are still practicing medicine . What has kept you in medicine for this long ? Why do you continue practicing medicine ?
DR . B : I love my work . I still enjoy it . It ’ s like solving a puzzle , talking to the patient , the interaction with my colleagues and the employees . I thoroughly enjoy it . I love my work , that ’ s why I haven ’ t stopped it yet . I think my brain and my body will tell me when to stop .
DR . FE : That made me laugh . Since my graduation from medical school , and I started practicing , that ’ s all I have known in my life , going to the clinic to see my patients each day . That ’ s all I would like to do , it ’ s the reason I went into medicine . I work in a community health center , and so the type of patients I see are the ones who are indigent . We provide a lot of help aside from just seeing them in the clinic . For example , we provide transportation and we provide seminars on the weekends so they can have education on healthy foods . Of course , convincing the patients to come to the clinic is the most difficult . However , I like my practice . As long as I am strong , both physical and mental , then I am going to continue to practice medicine .
DR . B : That ’ s right . I really thoroughly enjoy it . You know , most of my patients have been with me for more than 30 years . Sometimes , they don ’ t even call me “ doc ”, they call me by my first name .
DR . VAL : That ’ s because you ’ re their friend .
DR . B : Yes , we sit down and talk . We talk about their family , well some of them , their family are my patients too . It ’ s like a story-telling business . It takes time , it takes a lot of time to see these people . I really enjoy the time when they come in , we have a good chat , and they remind me when they saw me in the little green house on Taylor Boulevard ( Dr . B ’ s first office in the 1980s ).
To watch the complete , unedited interview ( including the sweet advice my parents had for my son and nephew about becoming a physician ) you can go to the link :
https :// youtu . be / 6kC-AaMG2PI ? si = AsT _ mOgFHKp8MpPi
Dr . Voltaire Briones is a practicing internist in the South End of Louisville for 40 years .
Dr . Fe Briones is a practicing family medicine for almost 40 years and is Chief Medical Officer for Park DuValle Family Health Center .
Dr . Valerie Briones-Pryor is a practicing hospitalist for UofL Health .
10 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE