Jayne and Jim Hill
Dec. 20, 2012, (Salem) — Jim Hill says patient-centered primary care homes provide health care "the way it should be."
Hill, 69, suffers from a chronic disease called porphyria. It is an enzyme deficiency that affects the nervous system, skin or both. His son and daughter also have the disease.
"This type of care is the wave of the future; it’s where medicine is going. They listen. They get you the care you need." ~ Jim Hill
Hill credits the care he gets at Vida Family Medicine in Salem for diagnosing him and helping him manage the frequent and often difficult symptoms of his disease. Vida is a state recognized Patient-Centered Primary Care Home, which means that it offers comprehensive, continuous and coordinated care to patients and their families.
"I feel lucky to have been diagnosed — and especially for my daughter. The type of care we get has really helped us," said Hill, a retired Salem firefighter. His daughter, Megan Workman, 33, is a teacher and now lives in Fallbrook, Calif. His son, Andrew, 36, is an acupuncturist and massage therapist in Portland.
Besides being on top of his disease, the providers at Vida look at the whole person and address each issue at its core. For example: Hill has also had a heart arrhythmia and had a surgical ablation about seven months ago. And a nutritionist has helped him and his wife, Jayne, a retired school teacher, lose weight and eat healthier.
"It is integrated medicine. They take a holistic approach to patient care. They fill in the links to make sure I'm doing the right thing. They get people to better health and get you the specialists if you need them," said Hill.
"People are not running off in a million different directions. This type of care is the wave of the future; it's where medicine is going. They listen. They get you the care you need."