Alumni Entrepreneurs

Jessy Lorion, 1988

Business/Organization/Inventions

Lakeland Family Medicine

Type of Business

Healthcare

Date of Operation

June 1999-present

Description of Business or Organization

Solo Family Practice. Frequently one of the only practices in town open to new patients whose pay or source is Medicare or Tricare (geriatric patients and veterans). Compassionate, advocacy-style care for the whole person. Respect, dignity, collaboration, prevention, end-of-life.

Contact Information

1110 Ironwood Drive
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814
United States
(208) 666-0909
Email

How did Evergreen prepare you for your professional life?

Evergreen cradled me as I became a scientist and a better student. Also the volunteer firefighter experience, student health medical assistant work-study job, and serving as a student leader (if that were ever possible at Evergreen!) all helped prepare me for a medical career. I was the only grad that year to be applying for medical school, so it was a huge relief when I finally got that acceptance letter from the UW. Needless to say, I was not the typical medical student. I was the only one in my medical school class to take the medical ethics course, which was full of students of various other health professions. I designed a three-month-long independent study enabling me to be at sixteen different outpatient specialty clinics on a rotating basis. I received honors in Geriatrics and Rehab Medicine. My practice reflects my values, I hope. I schedule usually no more than twelve patients per day, and actively discriminate in favor of the super-elderly. I make house calls, ride my bike to work (yes, even most winter days) and I volunteer in leadership at our community hospital, covered hospital "call" for our local free clinic, served four years as medical director at our town's oldest nursing home, and cheerfully nag CEOs to change policies in favor of a smaller carbon footprint, healthier and more local food, bike paths, access to care for veterans, better communication/collaboration between doctors and between doctors and patients. The work will never end, but I don't want it to. Evergreen gave me exactly what I wanted: meaningful work. I can't imagine ever fully retiring, which is as it should be. It is a privilege and a joy to practice medicine, even in this difficult time.