Internal medicine is the medical specialty that focuses on diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of diseases in adults, especially of internal organs. Although ‘Internists’ often act as primary care physicians, the degree of training is 1)focused on adults 2)focused on complex problems of heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal track, endocrine glands, arthritis and autoimmune diseases, blood disorders, and cancers.

Dr. Summers, a third generation physician, trained in internal medicine at Washington University. He taught internal medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Southern California, before starting a successful solo practice in Los Angeles in 1980.

In Albuquerque, Dr. Summers served as a hospitalist at Integrated Specialty Hospital, Kindred Hospital, and St. Joseph’s hospital while developing his solo practice in this community. In 2005, due to reimbursement rates that did not pay for office expenses, Dr. Summers withdrew from Medicare and Medicaid. This gave him motivation to explore where his skills and experience would fit into this community’s needs. Put another way, what medical needs were not being met by the two major HMO systems?

He decided that preventative medicine was not answered by the 5 minute visit with the para-medical personnel of the HMOs. To carefully review one’s medical history, family history, and experience with medications took time. Further Dr. Summers’ judgement developed in over 30 years to medical practice allowed him to anticipate near-future and future problems in patients.

Dr. Summers reads 6 professional journals and monitors the lay press for issues of concern to prepare for his weekly live radio program on KJY 1550AM. But this habit of reading the literature has been constant over 30 years, which allows judgement as to what is “a popular fad of medicine” and what truly advances patient health. He brings this knowledge and experience to the patient in dHc.