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Meet the Doctor: Dr. Patricia PolingBy: Chris GonsalvesA Family Affair |
It was supposed to be a routine pre-op exam in advance of colorectal surgery, but when Dr. Patricia Poling’s fingers pressed and probed around his throat, Teddy Monty could sense something was wrong. What Poling felt—and an ultrasound would later confirm—was a cancerous tumor in Monty’s thyroid.
“She was the first doctor to really examine my neck,” says Monty, 40, of Naples. “She scheduled the ultrasound that afternoon.” After the 45-minute procedure, a technician told Monty he’d get results in three days. He got the call from Poling at 9 p.m. that same evening. “She told me I needed a biopsy. Very direct, very honest. I’m very, very lucky she found this when she did.”
It was a difficult time for the Monty family. He went ahead with colorectal surgery then began a series of surgeries and treatments for his thyroid cancer. But the care they received from Poling—including healthy doses of communication and information and genuine concern—led to the Montys making her their family physician. Now, Poling treats Monty, his wife, Teresa, and their 18-year-old son, Alexander.
“I was already looking to establish a new relationship with a doctor,” says Monty. “This experience made me very confident I’d found the doctor for me and my family. She spent a lot of time with me, here in the office, on the phone, just a lot of nurturing trust.”
A New Jersey native with dual specialties in internal medicine and pediatrics, Poling came to Southwest Florida two years ago after she and her physician husband completed their work as National Health Service Corps scholars serving in rural North Carolina. She says her treatment of the Montys’ healthcare is typical of her approach to family medicine. “What I love about my job is that you get to follow people through 10 years or more,” Poling says. “My feeling is that person is now joining your circle for a long time. There’s an element of trust and an element of working together.”
Teddy Monty still needs to be checked annually, but says he’s back to work as club manager at Quail Creek Country Club, and he feels great after his thyroid removal. “If I didn’t have a scar, you’d never know it happened.” Meanwhile, both his wife and his son have been diagnosed with thyroid nodules that Poling is taking a conservative, wait-and-see approach with. It’s one of the benefits, she says, of treating an entire family and knowing their medical history.
“It’s nice to be going to someone who knows the whole story,” Teresa Monty says. “Dr. Poling makes you feel very comfortable because she knows what we’re all going through.”
“She was the first doctor to really examine my neck,” says Monty, 40, of Naples. “She scheduled the ultrasound that afternoon.” After the 45-minute procedure, a technician told Monty he’d get results in three days. He got the call from Poling at 9 p.m. that same evening. “She told me I needed a biopsy. Very direct, very honest. I’m very, very lucky she found this when she did.”
It was a difficult time for the Monty family. He went ahead with colorectal surgery then began a series of surgeries and treatments for his thyroid cancer. But the care they received from Poling—including healthy doses of communication and information and genuine concern—led to the Montys making her their family physician. Now, Poling treats Monty, his wife, Teresa, and their 18-year-old son, Alexander.
“I was already looking to establish a new relationship with a doctor,” says Monty. “This experience made me very confident I’d found the doctor for me and my family. She spent a lot of time with me, here in the office, on the phone, just a lot of nurturing trust.”
A New Jersey native with dual specialties in internal medicine and pediatrics, Poling came to Southwest Florida two years ago after she and her physician husband completed their work as National Health Service Corps scholars serving in rural North Carolina. She says her treatment of the Montys’ healthcare is typical of her approach to family medicine. “What I love about my job is that you get to follow people through 10 years or more,” Poling says. “My feeling is that person is now joining your circle for a long time. There’s an element of trust and an element of working together.”
Teddy Monty still needs to be checked annually, but says he’s back to work as club manager at Quail Creek Country Club, and he feels great after his thyroid removal. “If I didn’t have a scar, you’d never know it happened.” Meanwhile, both his wife and his son have been diagnosed with thyroid nodules that Poling is taking a conservative, wait-and-see approach with. It’s one of the benefits, she says, of treating an entire family and knowing their medical history.
“It’s nice to be going to someone who knows the whole story,” Teresa Monty says. “Dr. Poling makes you feel very comfortable because she knows what we’re all going through.”
