In-Store Reading: Gregg Coodley: Patients in Peril

Annie Bloom’s welcomes back local author Gregg Coodley for an in-store reading from his new book, Patients in Peril: The Demise of Primary Care in America.

Signed and personalized copies are available for order! Please, please, please include the name for personalization in the order notes; or indicate “signed only.”

About Patients in Peril:

Once, Americans could count on having a personal or primary care physician who would see patients for new or chronic problems, whether in the office or the hospital. The appeal of such a system is more than psychological, for both primary care and continuity of care with a physician over time are associated with improved patient care, greater patient satisfaction, and lower overall costs. These days are ending as primary care in the United States is rapidly disappearing. Where once 80% of American doctors were in primary care, now perhaps only a quarter of new graduates enter the field. Existing primary care doctors are retiring prematurely while many of those remaining feel demoralized, dispirited, and defeated. Experts predict increasing shortages of primary care doctors. The collapse of primary care will increase overall costs, hurt hospitals and insurers, but most of all damage the care of patients. Patients in Peril explains the roots of the problem, the travails of primary care in America, the role of medical schools, hospitals, insurers and government, and how this all affects patients. Patients in Peril also offers practical achievable reforms that would improve care, reduce costs, and potentially avert this disaster.

Gregg Coodley graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Economics in what was practically the Dark Ages, i.e. 1981. He attended the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine before going to do a residency in Primary Care Internal Medicine at Cambridge Hospital in Massachusetts. In 1990 he joined the faculty at the Oregon Health Sciences University eventually becoming Chair, University Section, General Internal Medicine. For some odd reason, he received an award for Teaching and one for Humanism at OHSU. In 1997 he left OHSU to help found the Fanno Creek Clinic in SW Portland. Coodley serves as the Manager and works as a primary care physician. The Clinic received the Portland Small Business Award and is noted for trying to support local schools, having solar power on the roof and taking Medicare and Medicaid patients. The Clinic recently celebrated 20 years in business and its 50,000th patient. Coodley is the father of four children and currently lives with his wife, three children and two dogs in Southwest Portland. Besides his medical publications, Coodley is the author of the fantasy adventure books A Curious Journey and The Return of the Cat. Coodley has worked as a short order cook, camp counselor, chicken farmer, waiter, Union president and professor before ending up in his current job as a primary care doctor.