Finding hope and a true healthcare partner

As he describes it, Terry Underwood, a lifelong resident of Salem, UT, has had enough health challenges to last “more than a lifetime.”
He has battled thyroid cancer and had parathyroids removed in 2001 and again in 2011. He also has had DVT in his leg, orthopedic issues, and trouble with magnesium absorption.

“I’ve had a lot of medical issues that were not readily discovered or understood,” he says. “I was pigeonholed into one track and referred to specialist after specialist.”
Things changed for Terry when he started seeing Dr. Garry Miller at Revere Health Salem Internal Medicine.

“When I started working with Dr. Miller, I found someone who was really unique as far as a personal approach and the way that he treated me,” Terry says. “He would listen carefully to the things that I had to say. He was open to any changes I could sense with my body.”

Terry’s struggles with magnesium deficiency and malabsorption were not understood or diagnosed by his previous physicians, but Dr. Miller was undaunted.
“I’ve never fit the norm, but he just kept digging into everything,” Terry says. “He really put in the time and effort to understand why.”

Because of his determination and quality care, Dr. Miller gained the trust of Terry’s family and now also serves the health needs of his many relatives in Salem.

My experience with the Salem clinic was outstanding,” Terry says. “Working with Dr. Miller has been a real pleasure. He was spending extra time to get to know me because he’s someone that genuinely cares about people.

Dr. Miller also introduced Terry to a new program at Revere Health called the “extensivist program.” The program was created as a way to meet the needs of high-risk, medically complex patients who require additional care between visits.

Believing Terry was the ideal patient profile for this program, Dr. Miller set up a virtual appointment for Terry to meet with Dr. Christine Foster, CMO of Population Health, who co-manages patients in the program.

Meeting with Dr. Foster was another turning point in Terry’s healthcare experience.

“During my first meeting with her, for the first time in a very, very long time, I felt hope,” Terry says. “Without this program being put together, I would have been really stuck and not wanted life to continue in the same direction that it was going.”

Dr. Foster worked with Terry to understand his medical history from his point of view, something he really appreciated. Terry says many other physicians would simply rely on previous medical records, which can create biases.

“Her stated goal was to partner with me on my healthcare, which she has done.”

Terry also lauds her ability to work with other physicians and establish strong relationships with them to create a network of care.

It’s just an amazing team effort that has literally made a difference in my life. My parathyroid issue wasn’t really being taken seriously until she and Dr. Miller got involved.

Because of his experience, Terry is a firm believer in the way Revere Health approaches healthcare.

“If Revere Health could be made a working model for the Intermountain West, I think it would start getting some attention as to what medical care should look like.”