RICHARD BRUNO: FOR ME, GRADUATING FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL
AND FINISHING UP RESIDENCY IS LIKE BEING AT A CROSSROADS.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A CAREER OR A WAY OF PROVIDING
FOR MY FAMILY,
BUT IT'S REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE KIND OF DOCTOR I WANT TO BE.
HI. I'M RICHARD BRUNO, I AM A STUDENTS-TO-SERVICE
PARTICIPANT IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS,
AND THIS IS MY FIRST DAY AT MY FIRST REAL JOB AFTER RESIDENCY.
I WAS JUST JOKING WITH MY DAUGHTER--SHE'S 8 YEARS OLD,
AND I WAS TELLING HER I JUST FINISHED 24th GRADE.
I'M PSYCHED. I'M READY TO GO.
IT'S MY FIRST DAY OF ORIENTATION.
SHIRLEY SUTTON: GOOD MORNING. WELCOME TO
BALTIMORE MEDICAL SYSTEM.
OUR MOTTO HERE AT BMS IS THAT WE TAKE CARE OF ALL PATIENTS
REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE, CREED, OR CIRCUMSTANCES.
BRUNO, VOICE-OVER: THE DECISION TO COME TO A CERTAIN CLINIC IS
A TOUGH ONE.
I MEAN, I THINK IT REALLY BEHOOVES A MEDICAL STUDENT
OR A RESIDENT WHO'S THINKING ABOUT GOING INTO UNDERSERVED
CARE TO GO AND VISIT A CLINIC, TO ACTUALLY GO AND TRY
AND EITHER SHADOW OR WORK AT THE CLINIC OR DO A ROTATION
AT THE CLINIC TO SEE IF THAT'S A GOOD FIT FOR THEM.
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS WILL PAY FOR YOU TO COME
AND DO AN INTERVIEW AND CHECK OUT A SITE VISIT, WHICH IS
AN OPPORTUNITY I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO DO IF
THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT IT.
- DID I BLINK? - NO. OK. GOOD.
BRUNO, VOICE-OVER: WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR SITES
AS I WAS FINISHING UP MY RESIDENCY, I STARTED BY LOOKING
ON THE WEB SITE AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY MET
THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA CRITERIA,
LOOKING IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY THAT I
KNEW I WOULD POTENTIALLY WANT TO WORK, AND THEN JUST KIND
OF SCOUTING OUT SOME SITES AND SOME STATISTICS
ABOUT THE SITES.
BALTIMORE MEDICAL SYSTEM WAS ONE OF THE BEST SITES
THAT I LOOKED AT.
HOLLY TATE: DR. RICHARD BRUNO STOOD OUT TO ME FIRST ON PAPER
BECAUSE OF HIS PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION, HIS STRONG DESIRE
TO WORK WITH THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY.
HE TRULY WANTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
ANGELA BINGER: IT IS A STRESSFUL TIME. THERE'S A LOT THAT YOU HAVE TO
DO TO BECOME A PROVIDER.
IT'S NOT LIKE I GRADUATE ONE DAY AND I START MY POSITION
THE NEXT DAY.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT LICENSES YOU HAVE
TO APPLY FOR, THERE'S THE PRIVILEGING,
THERE'S CREDENTIALING.
THEN THERE'S ALL THE HR INFORMATION THAT'S
NEEDED TO GET STARTED.
THEN TO HELP EASE THAT TRANSITION TO NHSC SERVICE
WE REALLY LOOK AT TRYING TO SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS
OF BRINGING THE PROVIDER ON BOARD.
BRUNO: I LOVE BALTIMORE.
PART OF THE REASON I WANTED TO COME TO BALTIMORE IN THE FIRST
PLACE IS THAT MY WIFE'S FAMILY LIVES OUT HERE IN MARYLAND.
- JUMP! - JUMP!
GOOD JOB.
BRUNO, VOICE-OVER: MY WIFE AND KIDS HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE
OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY GOING
TO MEDICAL SCHOOL, GOING TO RESIDENCY,
LIVING PRETTY MEAGERLY,
AND ACCRUING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF DEBT.
BRUNO: SEE THE KITTY CAT?
BRUNO, VOICE-OVER: KNOWING THAT I CAN STAY IN A PLACE THAT I'VE
ALREADY DEVELOPED ROOTS IN WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME,
SO COMING TO RESIDENCY AND THEN CONTINUING
ON WITH MY NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS COMMITMENT
SEEMS LIKE A REALLY NICE FLUID TRANSITION.
SO MANY TIMES I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF IN MEDICAL SCHOOL
I REALLY WANT TO COME TO A POPULATION THAT'S DIVERSE,
THAT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEDICAL PROBLEMS
AND CONDITIONS,
AND I FOUND IT IN BALTIMORE.
TWO OF MY BIG ISSUES ARE OPIOIDS AND OBESITY,
THE TWO Os,
AND WE HAVE THOSE HERE IN BALTIMORE UNFORTUNATELY.
THEY'RE TWO VERY CHALLENGING, VERY COMPLEX ISSUES.
DO YOU HELP HIM BRUSH HIS TEETH?
YEAH? THAT'S SWEET.
BRUNO, VOICE-OVER: SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK,
FOR PRIMARY CARE DOCS TO BE VERY INTEGRATED
WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOLKS WHO
ARE WORKING WITH US TO HELP OUR PATIENTS BE MORE
PRODUCTIVE AND OVERCOME THE STRUGGLES.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL WAY TO DO IT.
PATIENT: I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE CARBOHYDRATES.
BRUNO: I KNOW. SUGAR HIDES IN A LOT OF STUFF, RIGHT?
PATIENT: YES.
TATE: DR. BRUNO WAS VERY PASSIONATE IN OUR FIRST
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER WORK HE'S DONE
AND HIS DESIRE TO FOCUS ON PATIENTS IN THE CITY
OF BALTIMORE.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE CLASS THIS YEAR DO YOU THINK?
PATIENT: NURSING.
NURSING! THAT'S COOL.
WE NEED ALL THE DOCTORS AND NURSES WE CAN GET.
TATE: HE REALLY WANTS TO HELP THEM TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE
IN THEIR OWN HEALTH AND IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY
OF LIFE AND REDUCE THEIR HOSPITALIZATIONS,
REALLY HELP THEM TO BE THEIR HEALTHIEST SELF.
BRUNO (TO PATIENT): GOOD LUCK. HOPE YOU ENJOY THAT NURSING CLASS.
BRUNO, VOICE-OVER: PARKS Rx IS BASICALLY A PRESCRIPTION
FOR PATIENTS TO WALK IN THE PARK WITH THEIR DOCTOR.
SO WE'RE PLANNING TO DO A WALK WITH PEOPLE DURING
A LUNCHTIME HOUR, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THEM OUT INTO
THE NEARBY PARK RIGHT NEXT TO THE CLINIC.
SO WE CAN REALLY GET OUT THERE AND HAVE A GREAT WAY
OF EXERCISING, GETTING SOME PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, CONVENING,
YOU KNOW, AS A NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL HELP TO BE ABLE TO DO
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS PROGRAM
AND TO FULFILL MY SORT OF GREAT MISSION IN LIFE AS
BEING THE KIND OF COMMUNITY DOCTOR THAT A COMMUNITY NEEDS.
IT'S A WIN-WIN.