Country doctors: introducing Empire new physicians

From staff reports

Drs. Cyrus Ghaemi and Katie Krezoski-Evans have joined Dr. Nicole Fliss at Munson Healthcare’s family practice in Empire, which serves infants to elders. Having three doctors allows the clinic to expand its hours to 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. on most weekdays, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 8 a.m.-noon on Saturdays. Krezoski-Evans and Ghaemi will each work three days a week in Empire, on alternating schedules, and spend the remainder of the week at the Urgent Care in Traverse City.

We posed the following questions to Krezoski-Evans and Ghaemi in order to get to know them.

Glen Arbor Sun: What has you most excited about your medical practice in Empire?

Katie Krezoski-Evans: I have always been interested in being the “small town doc” and being connected to the community that I live in. Empire is a great community that has a long history. On top of that it is a beautiful place to live and be. When my husband, Luke, and I decided where we wanted to put down roots, it was really a no brainer to stay in this area. From the Great Lakes, to the outdoors, to the friends we have already made from Luke’s childhood and from the last 5 years I have been training at Munson, this is home.

Sun: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background, and how you landed in Leelanau?

Krezoski-Evans: I am originally from Milwaukee. My parents were actually Michiganders from the Kalamazoo area. I moved to Michigan when I went to Kalamazoo College where I got my BA with Health Sciences. My husband Luke was born and raised in Honor; his mom, Monica, was originally from Empire and his dad, Chad, from Honor. A mutual friend introduced us. We lived in Kalamazoo for two years following my graduation while Luke completed his degree. When I got into medical school at Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic medicine we moved to East Lansing but he soon got a job in Petoskey so we were commuting to see each other on the weekends. For my third and fourth years at medical school I competed to come to Traverse City to work at Munson for my base hospital so we could be closer together. Munson has a very strong Family Medicine residency so I remained in Traverse City for the three-year program. Luke and I got married during residency and he moved to Traverse City. He works for the Great Lakes Commons, a nonprofit group that works towards caring for the health of the Great Lakes. Luke and I have a dream to get some land in southern Leelanau or northern Benzie and create a subsistence-type farm.

Ghaemi: I’m 30 years old, I grew up in southeast Michigan, and I’ve always loved spending time up in northern Michigan. When I was a child, my parents would bring us up here regularly, and I knew I wanted to be somewhere like this when I was able to decide where I lived. I did my undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Michigan and Michigan State, and finally was lucky enough to do my Family Medicine Residency up here in Traverse City. I was fortunate enough to be able to connect with the right people to help create this job position that keeps me up here and plugs me into Leelanau County at Empire Family Care, which I am really excited about.

Sun: What’s your ideal autumn day in this region?

Krezoski-Evans: Sitting outside with a blanket in my lap and something warm in my coffee mug while the sunlight filters through the trees and the wind blows the scent of dried leaves my way! Then I would put on some flannel and head to the local orchard to pick some apples and drink some cider. Perhaps Luke and Cyrus would get some hard cider cooking while I make an apple pie for dessert while Cyrus’ wife Christina brings home some vegetables from Birch Point Farm for dinner.

Ghaemi: Any combination of the following: sleeping in, watching the sun rise, taking a hike in the woods, or biking along our trails. standing by the water or jumping in if it’s still warm enough. Making food with friends and hanging around the bonfire. If a friend has fired up the sauna, that’s a perfect finale.

Sun: Anything in particular you’d like to share about your medical practice or philosophy?

Krezoski-Evans: I went in to osteopathic medicine because I believe there is more to healing than medication. I enjoy doing osteopathic manipulation and spending time with my patients, despite the pressure we have from the societal powers to make our appointments shorter and click more computer buttons. I am also interested in integrative medicine, however I admit this is an area that is not well covered in mainstream medicine so I plan to take more classes in this area as I progress through the practice of medicine. I am very interested in seeing all ages of patients—from newborns to their grandparents, and have a special interest in women’s health.

Ghaemi: I try to be pretty holistic in my approach, I want to try and figure out the root of what’s going wrong. Sometimes that means taking more time and having a few more visits to see how things are changing over time. I want to help people feel motivated to make their own positive changes in their lives, but sometimes conventional interventions are necessary and I want to be honest with people about that. I want to have long-lasting relationships with my patients so they feel comfortable opening up to me and letting me help along their journeys. Our clinic is really excited to be able to help with medical care for infants, children and teenagers too. We try to keep it fun there so that it’s not intimidating, and it’s so critical to get kids and young adults motivated to be proactive in their health.

Sun: Cyrus, tell us about taking part in the recent Culinary Medicine conference held by Munson and the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities and why that was important to you.

Ghaemi: I’ve always been motivated by the influence of diet and lifestyle on health and wellbeing (that’s my mom’s influence). I’ve developed a love for food and cooking over the years, and I’ve seen how much food insecurity, an overabundance of unhealthy but cheap food options, and an intimidation of food and cooking has contributed heavily to chronic disease and a loss of health. My wife Christina has been farming in Leelanau county for the last four years and has done a lot of education and outreach regarding local farming and youth education about food and cooking, and we’ve always talked about tying our skills together in some way.

This conference was a great opportunity for me to talk with health professionals in our community about the state of food access and food insecurity in our region and for all of us to explore the intersections of that with health and illness. It also emphasized the importance of practical cooking skills in creating confidence in people to take control over their lives so they can eat better and enjoy it, instead of feeling limited in their choices.

Sun: Cyrus, do you feel comfortable sharing a bit about your ethnic heritage? Since we live in a pretty homogenous region, how have you been received up here, personally and professionally?

Ghaemi: I am a first-generation American, born to Persian parents and raised in southeast Michigan. Personally and professionally, I’ve been treated very well. Much of that is likely due to the friends and colleagues I seek out and the positive and welcoming community they help to create. Though homogeneous, there are many people here who understand and embrace diversity, and I love that. I hope that continues to grow, since there is so much value in other cultures, and it’s exciting to be exposed to new things.

There have definitely been things that I have seen—in person and on the news locally, regionally, and nationally—that are jarring and concerning, but I always hope that the kind, welcoming nature of people wins out. That’s the kind of person I am, the kind of community I want to contribute to, and the kind of medical practice I will run: welcoming, accommodating, and non-judgmental. I do not accept a culture that is intolerant of others.