Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Gara-Matthews.
Lori, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a medical family. I felt I was destined for the medical field. My father was a surgeon, as were my mothers’ parents. My father owned a practice in our hometown. As a child, I will never forget his empathy as he would stitch me on the kitchen table after getting hurt. It was in those moments, I realized how inspirational it was to heal.
Having 4 children of my own was as important as my medical training, because it forged my need to communicate with my patients’ parents the same way I communicated with my own children, with honest empathy and open ears. I thought if I could create this; I would have a great practice! It was because of this feeling and my father’s legacy that spurred me to aspire to own my own practice.
I met my husband while we worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as residents. Since he was Canadian, we moved to Canada after residency so he could fulfill his Visa requirement. I decided to take on a fellowship in Child Development and Behavior to become a better general pediatrician during those years. I found that I enjoyed being able to spend an hour or two assessing a child with special needs and then helping parents to understand their child better and help them reach their optimal level in learning.
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh no, It is never easy!!!! It has never been easy, but I would not change a thing, you see I embraced the challenge long ago!
Besides keeping up with the ever exponentially rising medical knowledge, practices need to adapt to the exponentially rising changes to technology, parent’s requests and pediatric society guidelines. For example, the old pen and paper charts are gone, now are the days of EMR (electronic medical records), email connectivity directly to parents and instant access to medical help 24/7. Hiring younger talent like our newest physician, Dr. Friedberg, has made this transition sooooooo much smoother!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pediatric Health Care and Wellesley – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am primarily a Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician but was also trained as a general pediatrician. I am currently the only one in the practice who does sub-specialty care, however the practice is growing and we are in talks to add another full time sub-specialist.
We are a smaller Pediatric office; therefore, we pride ourselves on more personalized care, the true essence of a “medical home.” Medicine aside, we take time to know the interests of our patients, get to know the parents’ professions, and how the parents like to approach medical care for their children. Our approach to medical decisions are team based, from local pediatric specialists, down to the parents’ wishes and concerns. We also have a great relationship with many pediatric specialists in our community and building where we are often able to get in our patients same day, where otherwise there would be a long wait!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We are so blessed to work in Boston, the world headquarters for medical care, not to mention the best pediatric hospital in the country, some would say the world.
Our colleagues are the best on the planet, which makes our jobs so interesting!
Besides that, I enjoy the seasons, especially the Fall with apple picking and warm cider doughnuts and maple sugaring and sheep shearing in the Spring.
Dislikes about your city: Snow days! Call me a work-a-holic, but kids get sick on snow days too, and we do everything we can to be open, but sometimes the weather dictates we need to close. I hate that!
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