Family medicine, considered the oldest and broadest subspecialty of medicine, plays a critical role in maintaining community health and access to care. In fact, 90 percent of primary care doctors are family physicians, providing care of a wide range of ailments and conditions from newborns to seniors.

Eric Coris, MD

Eric Coris, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, said that family physicians significantly enhance overall health outcomes, particularly for patients from underserved populations.

Aspiring doctors echo this sentiment. Kirtan Patel, a fourth year Morsani College of Medicine student, emphasizes his commitment to the community: “Free clinic work is crucial. It provides a place for the underinsured and uninsured in the community to receive medical care.”

However, the United States – and especially a state like Florida — faces a severe shortage of primary care doctors, posing a serious healthcare challenge. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the country will need an additional 55,000 primary care physicians over the next 10 years to keep up with demand.

To counteract this shortage, USF Health and Tampa General Hospital are joining forces to offer a Family Medicine residency position starting in July 2025. Dr. Coris underlined the necessity of these residency programs, saying, “These programs play a pivotal role in strengthening the health care infrastructure, nurturing a new generation of physicians and facilitating enhanced patient care.”

Patel added, “Family Medicine is the specialty geared toward primary care and preventative care.”

Kirtan Patel studies recently at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in downtown Tampa.

Family medicine training includes care for pediatric patients, adults, and pregnant women. The field often attracts medical students and residents passionate about serving their communities, which is key in addressing healthcare disparities and enhancing community health.

“Making a difference in the community is a powerful feeling,” Patel said. “The more family medicine physicians we can train and graduate, the better for any community as a whole.”

The goal remains clear: cultivate family medicine physicians through effective residency programs, enhancing access to care and reducing healthcare disparities.

The family medicine residency program will be a key addition to the nation’s fastest-rising medical school in primary care over the past decade, as recognized by U.S. News & World Report Academic Insights.

Moving an entire clinic can be a very daunting and cumbersome task, especially when you have to get it ready for patients only a few days later.  The staff and faculty of the USF Health Physical Therapy Center managed that process recently when they relocated the clinic to its new home.

Matt Lazinski, PT, DPT, OCS, associate professor and director of the clinic, and his team didn’t miss a beat when it came to patient care.  The team continued to see patients until noon June 16 and began packing the clinic at 1:00 p.m.  By 3:00 p.m., a moving company starting packing all of the therapy tables, and heavy machines.  The first load of machines arrived at their new home by 5:00 p.m. and the clinic team immediately began organizing the space.  Dr. Lazinski and his team worked through the weekend to make sure the clinic was ready to see patients by Monday.

Dr. Lazniski said there are some key upgrades that come with moving to a more modern space:

• A first-floor location means easier access for patients with mobility issues
• Bigger treatment rooms
• More efficient and functional space
• Televisions to assist in patient education
• Co-located with USF Health family medicine providers

“Moving over the weekend was for our patients so we aren’t canceling appointments,” Dr. Lazinski said. “My team has been great.  This has been a long time coming with a lot of starts and stops and they’ve been very patient throughout the process.  I can’t say enough good things about my team.”

The new clinic is located at 3500 E. Fletcher Ave. Suite 100 in the University Professional Center.

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Over 21 years at USF’s medical school, H. James Brownlee, MD, distinguished himself through his pursuit of excellence and passion for teaching and patient care.  He officially retires on Aug. 31.

At a  reception Aug. 14 attended by colleagues from USF Health and family members, Dr. Brownlee  was recognized for his years of dedicated service to the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the Tampa Bay community and the profession of medicine.

Dr. H. James Brownlee, with wife Barbara, was recognized for his leadership and excellence in teaching and patient care by Dr. Charles Lockwood, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

Dr. Brownlee joined USF in 1994 as chair of the Department of Family Medicine, coming from Bayfront Medical Center (now Bayfront Health St Petersburg) where he directed the family practice residency program. Beginning in 2012 he served as full-time medical director of the Monsour Executive Wellness Center, helping to advance the program.

The many students, residents and faculty who benefitted from Dr. Brownlee’s compassionate leadership, wisdom and encouragement will carry on his legacy, said Charles Lockwood, MD, senior vice president for USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

“For more than two decades trainees and colleagues have turned to him as a trusted mentor who would challenge them to always do their best,” Dr. Lockwood said. “And many, including some here today, have gone on to assume leadership positions as deans, residency directors and chairs in family medicine.”

Dr. Brownlee understood “long before it was in vogue,” the importance of interprofessional training and practice, Dr. Lockwood said.  Nurses, physician’s assistants and even a future pharmacy dean were a valued part of the academic mix he created.

Dr. Richard Roetzheim (far right), professor and interim chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, shares how Dr. Brownlee has served as a long-time mentor.

Richard Roetzheim, MD, professor and interim chair of the USF Health Department of Family Medicine, was among those who paid tribute to his long-time mentor.

“Dr. Brownlee was the family physician I aspired to be,” said Dr. Roetzheim, who started as a family medicine intern at Bayfront in 1985 when Dr. Brownlee was residency associate director.  “He was generous with his time, he had a caring and calming presence with patients, and his patients absolutely loved him.”

Kevin Sneed, PharmD, founding dean of the USF College of Pharmacy, was recruited to USF by Dr. Brownlee to initiate clinical pharmacy services in the Department of Family Medicine clinics. They shared a keen interest in the management of patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome and in diabetes prevention research.

Dr. Kevin Sneed, dean of the USF College of Pharmacy, says Dr. Brownlee inspired him to always do his best and played a key role in helping him become USF’s first pharmacy dean.

“I don’t know who wrote the script for Marcus Welby, MD, but it was patterned after Dr. Brownlee,” Dr. Sneed said. “I would not be here today, and the College of Pharmacy would not be here today, without Dr. Brownlee.”

Dr. Sneed last year presented his college’s Dean’s Award to Dr. Brownlee in recognition of his advocacy and support of the profession of pharmacy.   Dr. Brownlee has also been selected by medical students as the recipient of top teaching awards – the Leonard Tow Humanism Award and the Osler Award for Best Faculty Role Model.

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The rapid success of the 21-month-old Monsour Executive Wellness Center at USF Health has resulted in the need for a full-time physician director to help propel and shepherd the Center in its next growth phase.

H. James Brownlee, Jr., MD, has been named medical director of the Center, one of the fastest growing differentiated programs at USF Health. He joins the Center after retiring as chair of the USF Department of Family Medicine.

The expansion of the Center – now with four faculty physicians – is in keeping of its original strategy to grow into a prominent program designed specifically for busy executives with highly individualized, coordinated and time-driven scheduling. The program, which offers one-stop shop differentiated and customized wellness screening and longitudinal follow-up, has moved from idea to reality to potential national model in a few short years.

And, with such a strong response from area executives, the Center is now poised to reach a broader market, Dr. Brownlee said.

“It has always been Dr. Monsour’s vision to compete at a national level and we are now ready to move closer to that goal, maybe even faster than we first anticipated,” said Dr. Brownlee. “The many USF clinicians – from ophthalmology to audiology to physical therapy to cardiology – have done a tremendous job in helping us grow. As we expand our program, I look forward to working with them more. They are clearly the key to our success. We have a great team, great support and great vision.”

The Center, founded by Barbara and Roger Monsour, has steadily increased the number of executives wanting to access an all-encompassing physical, said Deann Marasco, program director of the Center. Opening in May 2010, the Center saw 17 executives in its first seven months. In 2011, 59 executives visited the Center. And in 2012, the Center is on track to see more than 80.

“Projections put us seeing several clients every day of the week, a goal we are eagerly aiming for,” Marasco said.

The Center is designed with the needs of a busy executive in mind, Marasco said.

“Our Executive Wellness Program is for anyone seeking a more personalized, thorough, and coordinated physical examination, with a team of people overseeing your wellbeing,” Marasco said.

Clients spend the better part of a day at USF’s Carol & Frank Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare. The tightly scheduled day is medically focused on the whole patient, providing a complete physical examination and full range of laboratory tests, and also includes ways for these business leaders to stay plugged into their unyielding workflow. The private clinic suite inside the Monsour Executive Wellness Center that is used for most of the physical exam is unlike typical examination rooms. In addition to myriad medical equipment, examination table and specialized lighting, the space also features a computer, wireless internet, and a telephone, and nearby are a printer, fax and photocopier – the tools needed to stay connected to business, Marasco said.

“The day is compact, making efficient use of the limited time most clients can provide,” said Marasco, the person responsible for the seamless timing of the multiple steps in a complete appointment.

In addition to Dr. Brownlee, the physicians of the Monsour Executive Wellness Center at USF Health include Drs. Eric Coris, Janelle Pegg, and Michele Pescasio. The Center also includes ancillary medical staff, including registered nurses and clinical nursing staff, health psychologists, athletic trainers, audiologists, optometrist, registered dietician and other health care professional in a range of areas of medicine.

For more information about the USF Health Monsour Executive Wellness Program, visitmyhealthcare.usf.edu or call 813-974-1794.

Story by Sarah A. Worth, photos by Eric Younghans, USF Health Office of Communications.