Executive Profile: Holly Ross, M.D., Packard Health West
Ross obtained her medical school training through a Navy Health Professions scholarship.
"The military is part of a family value of serving the country," she said. She finished her education owing the Navy four years of active duty as a doctor.
From 2001 to 2004, she was a United States Navy flight surgeon. That training taught her basic survival skills like how to swim a mile, and she even learned to pilot helicopters. After providing outpatient care at a Marine Corps training center in California, she deployed to Iraq where she led a seven-physician medical department at a base near Fallujah.
Marines tend to be young and relatively healthy, Ross said, because if they had heart disease or diabetes they wouldn't be allowed in the military. Instead, she saw a lot of orthopedic issues in Marines, such as shin splints or shoulder injuries from overuse. In the general population, chronic diseases are a bigger issue. Getting patients to comply with her recommendations is also harder with civilians, she said, noting that as a military officer, Marines were required to follow her advice.
Despite the differences in the two populations, Ross said her military training has been valuable in the transition to working at a nonprofit clinic. For example, she now has a lot of experience with overuse injuries, and she also has experience working with mental health issues.
"There were a surprising number of psychiatric issues in the military," she said. Treating Marines prepared her to help underprivileged civilian patients with similar issues.
Though she calls joining the Navy "one of the best decisions I ever made," Ross said she knew even before she started med school that she wanted to focus on primary care.
"What I really want to do and what I thrive on is getting to know people - connecting one on one and developing relationships," she said.
Ross was the first doctor hired to work at Packard Health's newest location. She and the clinic's other doctor began seeing patients in early October, and the center celebrates its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow. Ross said a major goal for this new practice is to make the system as efficient as possible.
"The more efficient we are, the more time we can spend with and talk to patients," she said.
Background
Education: B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, medical degree from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, residency at Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton Family Medicine and University of Michigan Family Medicine.
Family: Husband Craig, a family physician and Navy reservist, and dog Duke.
Residence: Georgetown area in Ann Arbor.
Business Insights
Best business decision: Joining the Navy and pursuing the Health Professions Scholarship.
Best way to keep a competitive edge: Read regularly about more than medicine, for instance practice management, etc.
Personal hero: Jim Peggs.
How do you motivate people: Consistency.
What advice would you give to yourself in college? Consider a year off before medical school doing something completely different than your final career.
Word that best describes you: Multi-faceted.
First Web site you check in the morning: None. (Electronic medical records on a work day.)
Confessions
What keeps you up at night? A good book.
Pet peeve: Inconsiderate behavior.
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate.
First job: Summer camp counselor.
First choice for a new career: Artist.
Treasures
Favorite cause: Packard Health, Central Asia Institute, Habitat for Humanity.
Favorite book: "Three Cups of Tea"; by Greg Mortenson or "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini.
Favorite hobby: Painting, jogging, reading, skiing, sailing.
Favorite restaurant: Delhi Palace Cuisine of India in Palm Springs, Calif.
LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter? Facebook, but I rarely log on.
Typical Saturday: Different every week. My favorite involves sleeping in and having a late breakfast, followed by something fun outdoors with my husband and dog.
What team do you root for? Redwings.
Wheels: 2002 Subaru Outback.
Who would play you in a movie? Sandra Bullock.