By: Jordan Regas Photos: Rachel Benavides
During his rotations as a medical student, Dr. Stefan Walker found himself gravitating toward the basic needs of each patient no matter the specialty he was learning at the time. This began his attraction to the the field of family medicine. He was more concerned with the overarching needs of the patient. Although the field of family medicine is thriving, doctor owned practices are becoming the minority. Dr. Walker believes it is time for family practitioners to start making changes in order to stay relevant in a changing healthcare landscape, including the possibility of a 24-hour primary health care clinic.
Dr. Walkers roots are deep in Corpus Christi, having graduated from Carroll High School and Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. After graduating from the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio, he completed a residency program at Corpus Christi Family Practice.
Dr. Walkers passion for family medicine comes from his desire to really understand and treat the whole patient. He is more detailed oriented and enjoys getting to know and understand the health concerns of each patient.
“I am trying to prevent something like a heart attack from happening,” says Dr. Walker. “My average new patient orientation is usually somewhere between an hour and two hours. You have to get to know the person, you have to understand their culture and their belief system. You have to listen to them and establish a long-term relationship with that person.”
Dr. Walker’s belief in the importance of family practices led him to spend the past fifteen months meeting with experts and researching the possibility of a 24-hour primary care clinic while working as a Partner and Staff Physician at Corpus Christi Medical Associates. He doesn’t believe busy patients should have to choose between work and the doctor. His goal is for the new model to be a reality within two years. “We have grocery stores open 24-hours, we have gas stations open 24-hours, why can’t we have clinics open 24 hours?,” says Dr. Walker.
He is grateful to the team at Corpus Christi Medical Associates who have been very supportive over the years. “They are like a family and have been very good to me. It is a very healing environment,” says Dr. Walker.
He loves the Coastal Bend and hopes to leave the area with sustainable, non-fragmental health care, and a new way of looking at primary care. He knows the road ahead is challenging. However, his true passion for helping people live longer, healthier lives is really what drives him.
Practice Interest Areas:
Preventive Medicine
Comprehensive Primary Care for Adults
Geriatric medicine
Practice Management and compliance
Medical Education
Public Health.
Contact:
6200 Saratoga Blvd, Building 5 Corpus Christi, TX 78414
361-225-2255
