A commitment to wellness: Dr. Joseph Rosa on becoming medical director at Americares’ Bridgeport clinic

Last month, Dr. Joseph Rosa was named medical director of the Fred Weisman Americares Free Clinic of Bridgeport.

Rosa is a practicing endocrinologist for Yale New Haven Health”™s Northeast Medical Group in Trumbull and is affiliated with Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent”™s Medical Center. In his new volunteer leadership role, Rosa will provide guidance on clinic policies and procedures, support volunteer recruitment and serve as an advocate within the community.

The Business Journals recently spoke with Rosa on his new endeavor.

Congratulations on this new position. How did you first become involved with Americares?

I”™ve been someone who”™s always given my time as a volunteer. I volunteered with the Fairfield County American Diabetes Association and I had a role as its president for the state of Connecticut. One of the things that I found over my years in practicing medicine is that there”™s not enough advocacy for patients, and so I felt that as a volunteer I can promote advocacy and help to bring problems out to legislators and local politicians to let them understand what the problems are for patients with chronic diseases.

I felt that Americares was a good way for me to give back. I”™ve been extremely fortunate in going to medical school, establishing and having a successful practice and always looking out for the underserved, so it”™s a way for me to continue to look out for patients who, a lot of times, don”™t have people looking out for them.

How much time during the week do you commit to the Bridgeport clinic?

I commit one afternoon a week. I go on Tuesday afternoons and I”™m there from 1 until 5:30 p.m.

All of the patients I see have some type of endocrine disorder, whether it”™s thyroid or diabetes. I see patients at scheduled appointments, examine them, review their medical record, make recommendations on further treatment and then follow up with them in a reasonable time period.

Who are the patients at the clinic? Are they from Bridgeport or are they also from the wider area?

The clinic serves patients from the surrounding area, which includes Bridgeport itself, Fairfield, Milford, Monroe, Shelton Stratford, Trumbull and Westport.

Do you encourage your colleagues in the medical field to volunteer either at Americares or in similar capacities at other centers?

Over the years, I like to slowly encourage people to volunteer. When I was younger, I was like a bull in a china shop and found that it really didn”™t get me anywhere. Now, I realize that people have commitments, but I ask them that if they can find time it would be a very rewarding experience to work in Americares.

For many people, medical instructions can be complex and stressful. How do you provide your patients with user-friendly instructions?

One of the things that I found to be lacking is that many times patients come in and see the doctor, they”™re told to go on a medication. They understand how to take it, but they don”™t understand the timing of it and, thus, they don”™t see the result they are hoping to see.

We try to make our patient care as understandable as possible. We have an interpreter for those patients who don”™t speak English, and we have a group of members that work with me as coaches ”“ if a patient is having a hard time pushing a goal, they can come to Americares on a scheduled appointment and go through a coaching session to see where the roadblocks are that are keeping the patients from successfully obtaining good health.

The other point we do is that the patient doesn”™t leave without having an understanding of their medication. They repeat to us or let us know how they”™re going to take it so that both of us have an understanding or we”™re on the same page.

Do you also address lifestyle changes and how that affects the results in patients?

We do. Because of the patient population and the fact that a lot of times their diets aren”™t very good because of the cost of foods, we try with sources such as vouchers for farmers markets to get vegetables and fruits. We try to encourage them to avoid processed foods and encourage them to exercise such as walking or cycling. And we encourage them to try to exercise at least three to five times a week, if it”™s possible.

We focus on weight loss and blood pressure, and we try to identify foods that affect weight and blood pressure. I think we”™re doing a very good job in getting through to the patients since they do come back for follow up. We do see improvements.

Going forward, what are your plans for the Bridgeport clinic?

I think that the plan that Americares has with regard to their service to the patients is an excellent one, and I am following their plan with regard to caring for patients. I am attempting to get help from different organizations to possibly support us so that we can establish and maintain a higher patient population and take care of some of those people that don”™t get in to see us.

I am very much committed to heightening the awareness of Americares to the area. To a lot of people, it has been a secret they were unaware of.