Below is an article originally written by PowerToFly Partner Forward, and published on January 11, 2019. Go to Forward's page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
Forward is the new approach to primary care, offering customized plans to help you control the future of your health. Today, we sit down with Dr. Brittaney Belyeu to hear her take on tech-enabled, member-centered healthcare.
Dr. Brittaney Belyeu — our newest physician at our Los Angeles location at The Americana in Glendale — received her medical degree from UCLA and completed residency training in Internal Medicine, with an emphasis on Primary Care, at the University of Washington. She values building a strong therapeutic alliance with members and using that as a foundation to help members move toward optimizing their health.
What first drew you to practice medicine?
As a child, I watched my mother suffer from widespread pain and fatigue as she searched for answers from her doctors for what was going on. She also dealt with the stress of work and caring for our family. Seeing her deal with these trials, I began to recognize the importance of a physician in improving a person's quality of life, which is ultimately connected to their ability to care for themself and their family.
What areas of interest do you have as a physician?
I am interested in prevention and optimization of chronic disease. My other primary interest is how technology and information systems can help a member better understand their health.
What do you value most in your relationships with members?
Being a primary care physician often means being invited into areas of a person's life that make them feel worried and vulnerable. I value the trust that is built in establishing a therapeutic relationship with members.
What is your experience with the current healthcare industry? Where would you most like to see improvements or changes?
There are inefficiencies in processes and transmission of information in the current healthcare industry that can lead to patient-provider miscommunication, unnecessary care, and unnecessary cost. I would like to see those inefficiencies addressed, which technology and optimization of information systems can help to facilitate. Additionally, it is important to train a workforce that is passionate about providing efficient but equitable care, particularly within the primary care field.
Why did you decide to join Forward?
I joined Forward because it is a new model of care that strives to address the inefficiencies that I mentioned above, while also placing high value on the member experience. This gives me the opportunity to be a part of positive change toward a better and equitable healthcare system.
What are a few fun facts about you that our members might not know?
I love food! If I could be dropped anywhere on Earth right now, it would be into La Boqueria in Barcelona.
