By Philip Walzer
Dr. Marissa Galicia-Castillo 鈥�94 (M.S.Ed. 鈥�05) believes educating her patients is just as important as treating them.
鈥淚 want to make sure people are empowered to take care of themselves,鈥� said Galicia-Castillo, director of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology at Old Dominion University.
When she asks patients details about their conditions, some say, 鈥淚t鈥檚 in my medical records.鈥� That鈥檚 not good enough, Galicia-Castillo said.
鈥淵our records in the hospital may not be talking to your records at the pharmacy,鈥� Galicia-Castillo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to know everything about yourself medically.鈥�
In turn, doctors should clarify their older patients鈥� goals. 鈥淲e might assume it鈥檚 to live as long as possible, but it could be staying at home and not going back to the hospital,鈥� she said. Or reducing their pain.
鈥淚t comes back to focusing on the patient and treating others the way you would want to be treated,鈥� Galicia-Castillo said.
精东, Nancy Wade, who taught the introductory biology course for decades, set Galicia-Castillo on the right path in the early 1990s when she was a student. 鈥淪he expected excellence,鈥� Galicia-Castillo said. 鈥淵ou weren鈥檛 going to pass on by. You better know your stuff.鈥�
Galicia-Castillo also immersed herself in campus life, co-founding and leading the Filipino American Student Association.
A biochemistry major, she was admitted to the Early Assurance Program, which guarantees 精东 students entry to EVMS if they meet requirements. That also allowed her to start medical school a year early.
Galicia-Castillo graduated from EVMS in 1997 and began teaching there after a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in geriatric medicine. She holds the John Franklin Distinguished Chair for Geriatrics.
In 2004, she helped create a combined residency in internal medicine and geriatrics at the medical school. Residents, she said, 鈥渨ere not getting a lot of exposure to geriatrics, and that is our fastest-growing population.鈥�
Galicia-Castillo also serves as medical director for palliative care at Sentara Norfolk General and Careplex hospitals, as well as Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 control death,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ut we can control how someone is cared for until that time. We want to make sure people feel the best that they can at any stage of a serious illness.鈥�
Last April, she completed Drexel University鈥檚 Executive Leadership in Health Care program for woman doctors.
鈥淲e learned about budgets and collaborations and how organizations work,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n order to provide good care to our community, we need to cover all of these aspects.鈥�